Most Koreans love kimbap. We usually bring kimbap along on picnics. There are many kinds of kimbap in Korea: kimchi kimbap, cheese kimbap, tuna kimbap, beef kimbap, nude kimbap, sesame leaves kimbap, etc. Today I will make the most common kimbap. It will have 5 things in it: cucumbers, pickled radishes, ham, crabsticks, and eggs. A secret for making kimbap is that all of the ingredients need to have same size. That will help make the kimbap look more delicious and taste better.
Yield: 10 Rolls
Short Korean Lesson
- ChahmGgae (참깨) = Sesame Seeds
- ChahmGiReum (참기름) = Sesame Oil
Video Instructions
Main Ingredients
- 10 Sheets Dried Seaweed
- 5 Crabsticks
- 10 Pieces Ham
- 1 Seedless Cucumber
- 10 Pieces Pickled Radish (DanMuJi)
- 5 Eggs
Rice Ingredients
- 7-8 Bowls of Cooked Rice
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1½ Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1½ Tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ Tbsp Sesame Seeds
Directions
Cut the cucumber to the same length as the crab sticks and then cut the cucumber in half. Cut it half again, and then divide it into three or four pieces. Sprinkle 1½ tsp of sea salt on the cucumber. Leave it set for 5 minutes, then rinse the cucumber once.
Wipe the water off with a towel.
Break 5 eggs and add 5 pinches of salt. Mix.
On medium heat, add a little bit of oil in a pan and then spread it around with a paper towel. Pour the egg mix into the pan. Let it cooked until the surface is almost cooked. Reduce the temperature to low and flip the egg over.
Cut the egg into half-inch strips.
Cut the pickled radish into strips. It should be the same thickness as the cucumber. You can also buy precut pickled radishes, but I think the strips are cut too thin; so I prefer to cut the whole radish myself.
Cut 5 crab sticks in half to make 10 strips.
Cut the ham into similarly sized strips as the cucumber and radish strips.
Add 7 or 8 bowls of cooked rice in a large bowl. Then add 1½ Tbsp of sesame oil, 1½ Tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, and ½ Tbsp of sesame seeds. Mix gently, so your rice will not get mashed.
Cover your rice with the plastic wrap, so it will not get dry.
Place the shiny side of the seaweed sheet down. Spread some rice over ⅔ of the seaweed sheet.
Place the pickled radish and a crabstick on top of the rice. Put the cucumber and ham next to the crabstick.
Put the egg on top of the ham.
Roll the seaweed sheet.
Rolling it tightly is important.
Put some rice on the end of the seaweed sheet to help seal it shut. I hope you used sticky rice!
Roll the kimbap with the bamboo mat.
Squeeze it hard so that it gets a good shape.
Put some sesame oil on the surface of the kimbap. The sesame oil will give flavor and keep your kimbap shiny.
Cut the kimbap into half inch pieces or bite sized pieces. I recommend that you do not cut them too thick.
Wow, this looks very decious, doesn’t it? ;D Why don’t you make some kimbap and go on a picnic with your family or friends someday? Enjoy! 😀
hey, thank you for this recipe.
It’s very detailed (especially the rolling part) which is good, because i suck at rolling and sealing the kimbab. kk
I’ve made kimbab before, mainly 계란 김밥, but it never tasted as good as the one my Korean teacher or the Korean restaurant makes..
I hope I will be more successful with your recipe! I’ll tell you then!
고마워요 😀
엘자~
Hi, Elsa ^^
Nice to meet you !!!! (I met you first time here right.)
haha, 계란김밥.. sounds yummy to me. Yes, please try to make kimbap someday, and let me know. So you are learning Korean?
Thanks for comment !!!
애리
애리씨~
i love your detailed explanation!
but i have some question…
for the rice used for kimbap…
do we cook it the same as normal rice
like one cup of grains to one cup of water
or should i add more water for the stick effect?
how much water and how many cup of grain did you use for this recipe?
PaM
Hi, PaM
Yes, I cook the rice the same as the normal rice. Just don’t forget.. it’s better to have less water for kimbap rice than too much water. (Kind of apposite with what you asked..right..hehe ) I’m going to post a video or recipe soon how to cook rice. Can you wait a little ?? hehe.. Thanks !!!
ah ok sure Thanks alot!!!
너무 감사합니다!!! ^^
Hi, PaM ^^
천만예요..hehe ~~
Coming soon ~~~~~~~ hohoho…:D
Have a good weekend !!
hi! is there another way to do the rice? i mean, instead of the soy sauce and oil mixture here, there’s this vinegared mixture, right? i saw this recipe in another korean recipe book. which’s more common in korea? m gong to make this for xmas, so asap!
Hi, layping
aha..another thing..
Yes,,when I was young, my mom (other moms also) used to fry the rice with salt and oil, until the rice get flavor from oil and salt. later..when it’s done,, turn off the heat and add sesame oil and mix ~~ but nowadays..people just mix with oil and salt as I did.. easier..hehe 😀 I hope my answer helped you a little..
hi! is there another way to do the rice? i mean, instead of the soy sauce and oil mixture here, there’s this vinegared mixture, right? i saw this recipe in another korean recipe book. which’s more common in korea? m going to make this for xmas, so asap!
Hi, layping ^^
Hm.. for my recipe, I use sesame oil, salt and olive oil (instead of vegetable oil for health..hehe)..I don’t use soy sauce. aha.. vinegared mixture one ?? well..I don’t know if it’s from different city of Korea..but what I know about it is… Japanese style sushi has vinegar for the rice. like california rolls.. (we have that in Korea.. ) or..sushi.. we call it “ChoBap” in Korea.. so if that recipe was for that kind of style..it will have vinegar..but typical Korean style kimbap doesn’t have vinegar.. (at least what I’ve eaten..and in my hometown..) hehe.thanks !!!
thx! so, i’ll just use sesame oil, salt and olive oil! thx really. also, sorry i meant to say salt but didnt know why i said soy sauce instead. hee,hee….
Hi, layping
haha.It’s okay ~~~ I thought maybe you misspelled.. maybe we can switch salt to soy sauce next time when we make kimbap later… how about that ?? hehe.. thanks !!! 😀
hello Aeri!!
Hehe this week i will be plan to making your kimbap!!=P when i was buying ingrediants from store, i saw that there are many kinds of pickled radish?? (i think they are radish…^^) i saw the yellow one (danmuji), and i also so there was a brown one and a orange one?? (i know the orange one is not a carrot, but i dont know what it is… some kinds of root i think?) oh yeah i remember.. burdock root??
and also i cannot find a “block” of ham like yours… i can only find it already presliced for me… ! do we have to go to special korean store to buy the ham??
hehe also i find that the precut pickled radishes are too thins also, but i cannot find big peices of the radishes so i just brought the small thin sliced ones:D
oh yes~ and usually for the rice, do most people put the seasonings? Or do some people just use plain rice? ^^ sorry for so many questions..xD
sorry~~ hehe but i have another questions!!
when we finish making kimbap, do we have to EAT IT RIGHT AWAY?? or can we put it in fridge and save it for tomorrows lunch? how long will it stay fresh if you make it?? hehe^^
Hi, Annie
Haha..it’s okay..
the taste is the best right after you make it.. once you keep it in the refrigerator..the rice will be hard..which is not that good to eat.. if you have to keep in the refrigerator..sometimes.. you can fry your kimbap a little without oil on the pan… to make the rice a little soft..but not too long.. You don’t want to keep your kimbap too many days in the refrigerator..I will say.. one or 2 days will be enough.. (2 days also..the taste will not be good..hehe) The reason the taste is not that good is..usually because of the rice part.. (other ingredients will not be that fresh either..but…) so what I can recommend you is.. keep the ingredients that you already cut in the refrigerator..and when you want to eat kimbap again.. prepare the fresh rice..and use the ingredients.. that way will be better than eating old kimbap from refrigerator. Thanks !! 🙂
Hi, Annie
Oh.. kimbap sounds awesome !!!
I’m hungry for kimbap nowadays.. but don’t have ingredients for it. ㅜ.ㅜ
Yes..the yellow one.. (danmuji) is right one to use… already presliced one..use that one… it’s okay..
yes.. you can use 2 thin slices for your kimbap at the same time.. if you feel like the radish is too thin.. hehe.
you need seasoning for the rice.. at least salt… ^^ if you don’t want sesame seeds or oils.. no problem for your questions.. they were cute questions..hehe thanks !!
thank you soo much for everything!!!!! ^____^ i love your website!! and i also love your youtube videos! they are the best! your videos are the most informative, clear steps and delicious foods!! xD i am so glad that i found your recipes!! thank you so much! =3
Hi, Annie
Hehe..Thank you very much for your sweet comment. I’m very slow to post videos and recipes nowadays because of my personal condition..but soon I will be back. Thanks again.. Please visit more often.. hehe 🙂
One bad thing about making this when people are around is that people gobble it up as soon as you roll one up. So at the end, you feel like you didn’t accomplish anything. I guess at least don’t have to worry about putting it in the fridge. lol.
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
Hi, cruiser
lol.. You are right !!! your kimbap must be really really delicious. 😉 yep.. as a person who cooks.. it’s always the best that you don’t get any left over.. 🙂 Thanks !!!!
It’s one of the few things I could make and made for years. That reminds me. When hungry and shopping at Korea grocery stores, the first thing I do is grab a package of two rolls of kimbab and munch on it as I go through the aisles. It helps me to not over spend since I tend to that when hungry. Usually, by the time I get to the checkout aisles, I’m on last piece of it, so I just give them the empty package to ring up.
Hi, cruiser
haha… really ?? You can really do that ??
sounds like.. your kimbap makes your grocery shopping even more fun… I wish I could do that too… 🙂 it was funny to read your message. thanks !!
wonderful and well-explained tutorial!!!!!!!! is there a particular way to make the beef?
Hi, nancy
Thank you very much for your comment. You are asking me about beef kimbap ?? I wonder if you checked the beef kimbap post.
I got this link from the sidebar of my gamil page. How did you get on it. I have been trying to have my website show up on it. Please let me know. My site is http://www.globaleducamp.com
What a great job you are doing to educate american about Korean food. Thank you.
Aeri!
Thanx 4 all the great recipes! My fiancée is Korean, and I’m American-Thai. I’m learning how 2 cook all the Korean dishes…thanks 2 ur wonderful website!! I made Kimpab 2day & it turned out great! Eventho i really wasn’t good @ rolling up the seaweed!! ^^*
Do you know how 2 make 탕수육? We tried making it a few times, just didn’t turn out right.
Hi 나비,
Sorry for late reply.. I found your comment today.. huk… great you enjoyed your kimbap.. I already posted 탕수육 video before.. I will add a link for you here. thanks
http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/09/tang-soo-yook/
My grandma and mom use 시금치 instead on ham.
i eat kimbap really wierdly! I eat the middle part first than press the rice and seweed together and eat it by itself!
hi Jina,
haha.. your way of eating kimbap is sooooo cute.. ^^
oh and have you tried making nude kimbop? the seeweed wraps around the vegitable and stuff and the rice wraps around the seeweed!
hi Jina,
oh.. nude kimbap.. not yet..but I will try it someday..hehe
oh yeah!(sry)
and ps: when the thing is getting pretty old and people haven’t finished them yet, she gets egg and dip them in the egg and fry it so it kimbap wrapped in egg.
hi Jina,
That’s clever way to eat leftover kimbap… thanks 🙂
Hi Aeri!
I have been dying to try making kimbap… but, can i use regular rice? or, is there a special type of rice for it like the Japanese sushi?
thanks! mwuah! ^__^
hi angelamhiere,
About your question.. different country use different rice.. so I don’t know what you mean.. regular rice..hehe In Korea.. regular rice is short grain rice..which is.. similar with sushi rice. If you can have it.. yes.. use sushi or short grain rice. thanks 😀
Thanks!
I found some kind of Japanese short grained rice in a supermarket near us… i’ll try it this weekend… =)
hi angelamhiere,
Did you try your kimbap ?? I hope you liked it. 😀
Hello Aeri! It is me again!
I love your new website design! 😀
hehe anyways, our family is planning on going on a road trip soon, and I actually wanted to make kimbap. The road trip will be pretty long, but I was wondering if it was ok to make kimbap and not put it in refridgerator… or is there other ingredients I can put in a kimbap so it can last longer without going into the frigde? Thank you sooo much!
btw, I really want to make your simple style bibimbap and original bibimbap=PPP im so hungry right now!! hehehhehhe 😛
Hey, its almost Korean Day isnt it? August 12? hehe bye!
hi Annie,
wow.. road trip.. sounds fun.. ^^
I think.. the kimbap will be okay for about half day without refrigerator.. especially the car will have air conditioner..right ??? egg.. pickled radish.. crab stick.. spinach.. ham .. they will be okay for half day.. ^^
sorry.. what is Korean day ??
안녕하세요!
Thank you very much for your recipe for this. My friend taught me to cook this one, but—I could not remember a few things, so it was nice to be able to use this to remind me! Actually, I also have used your recipe to make 잡채 and several other dishes. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience with us! Your site has been so helpful in improving my cooking, 감사합니다!
브렌든
Hi 브렌든,
Nice to meet you. wow you tried several my recipes ??? Thank you very much. Try more Korean dishes in the future please.. 😀
Yeah sure! I love your site. I eat Korean food so often now, maybe more than American food 하하하, soo–your recipes are so helpful! I have to try more Korean dish in future, for sure! ^^
hehe! thanks!
Actually, here in Calgary there is a Korean festival every summer in a park, and you can eat Korean food there and there is TKD performaces and dancing, drums! hehe !
Hi Annie,
Wow.. Korean festival … I really envy you. It will be very fun to go there. 😀 So they already had one for this summer??
Hi aeri!! I love ur blog!!! I only hve a question.. Can we use other kind of oil other than olive oil coz i dont hve olive oil right now n i want to make kimbap now!!! Help me please
hi janeinei,
Yes, you can use vegetable oil, grape seeds oil.. or other cooking oil you normally use.. but sesame oil is important to use for authentic kimbap. ^^
hi, i tried making this recipe. it came out good!..
but i have a question. what ham do you use?
hi neihc,
wow.. success.. happy to hear that. 😀
I used a Korean brand ham I got from a Korean grocery store. ^^ (aha the brand name was.. Lotte ham..)
thanks..didnt see this a the local korean market..
btw..im from singapore!
at first when i was making..i was thinking whether to add vinegar or not?
in the end..i didnt!
going to tr to make 자장면 next!
hi neihc,
It was good choice not to add vinegar..because kimbap is different from Japanese sushi which needs vinegar for the rice.. enjoy your 자장면 too..thanks
hello!.. actually i downloaded your videos on youtube coz they are very detailed.. thnx for posting them… i really want to try it but i can find anything nori sheets, olive oil, sesame oil and others.. how much will it costs if i order it them to you?.. just reply to my email.. thnx
hi norelle,
Oh.. I’m sorry to hear that .. you meant.. you can’t find those ingredients ..right ?? (because you typed.. you can find anything..but “can’t” maybe mistake?? ) anyway.. I don’t sell food.. ^^:; sorry.. I think amazon.com sell some nori.. sesame oil… I will add links for you later..
hey aeri!
I was wondering could you post up a picture of the ham package? I don’t know where to buy that type of long ham from. Thank.
hi charm,
Sometime ago, I took picture of the ham I used.. so I tried to find the picture..and couldn’t.. oops.. so here is a link from other site for you. I think you can buy it from a Korean grocery store. 🙂
http://www.google.com/images?q=김밥햄&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=iv&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=0OiXTLGdAoWclgfN09XTBQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&ved=0CAsQ_AU&biw=1129&bih=615
Do we have to use the short rice? Can I use the normal rice I eat? If not, is there a brand you recommend? How about Sesame Oil? One that is not too expensive and taste good?
Thanks for answering all my questions Aeri. 🙂
hi aeri.. tnx for your videos…its been a long time i didnt visit your site. i’ve learned how to make it successfull because of you.. i found ingridients now.. haha. tnx to you.. i hope you will post more for me to learn…more powers to you.. my kimbap came out very good.. although i am a filipino i have learn to love your foods..
hi norelle,
Great job .. thanks.. hey.. please visit my site more often.. hehe see you soon again. 🙂
Hi Aeri, your website looks yummo! 🙂
). Well, I’m just curious.
I notice that in making Kimbap you used the seedless cucumber.
My question is can I use the common cucumber (not the seedless one) to make Kimbap? Will it change the taste? I ask because it’s a little bit difficult to find the seedless one in my place (but perhaps I’ll find one if I search harder
Greetings from Indonesia. 🙂
hi Cerceuse,
In korea.. we also have common cucumber.. so what you can do is.. just cut the cucumber as I did.. and don’t use the center part which is mainly seeds and very soft ..mush part.. because it will not give the kimbap right texture.. ^^ but yes.. you can use common cucumber also. 🙂
Hi Aeri,
I would like to try making kimbap soon, since I have a little crush on a half-Korean guy and would like to somehow impress him *blushing*. But, I don’t have the bamboo mat, so would the kimbap still turn out good without it?!
I don’t know where to buy crab sticks to I think I would finely chop shrimps and add them to the beaten eggs before I fry it. Does it sound like a good idea?! And should carrots strips be added to kimbap also?!
I don’t have pickled radish either, and I don’t know where to buy them also. So, do you have a “recipe” to pickle your own radish at home (and fast)?! Since I’m Viet, I tried searching through some Vietnamese websites, and they say that I should mix 2 tbsp of vinegar with 1 tbsp of sugar and put radish in that mixture to get rid of the unpleasant taste/smell of the radish. Does that seem right to you?!
Thank you for taking your time answering my questions… 😀
hi LittleBaby,
hm… it seems like you don’t have ingredients for kimbap.. especially pickled radish is important for the flavor.. so..
how about trying other korean food that you can get ingredients ??
if you give me some idea what kind of food he likes..then I will suggest the food you can make.. how about that ?? I’m sure that guy is a happy man. ^^
I ate Viet spring roll yesterday, and I thought of substitute pineapple for pickled radish. It sounds weird but they have the same taste, right?!
I actually can go to the supermarket and but it, except for that I don’t know what kind to buy, and I don’t have much time.
What about the bamboo mat?! Is that very important to make kimbap, too?!
hi LittleBaby,
Well.. actually not.. pineapple is mostly sweet and a little sour…but pickled radish is.. more like salty..a little sour..and sweet… so it will be weird to use pineapple for kimbap.. ^^;;
you can use some heavy duty foil instead of bamboo mat..
Hi Aeri Lee,
I am sure will make kimbap according to this recipe very soon, maybe in this week or the following one. But I want to have the kimbap ready in the evening, and then bring it to school for lunch on the next day. So, over one night, how should I store the kimbap?! Is that okay to keep them in the fridge, then heat them up the next day on the microwave?! I’ve read you posts about heating them up with a pan on the next day, but i really don’t have time in the morning. So, is there any good solution for my problem?!
Thank you 🙂
Hi atv,
You should keep it in the refrigerator.. the problem will be.. the rice can be hard and the taste will not be as good as when it was fresh.. but it will be still okay to eat.. i think.. if you take out the kimbap in the morning..and eat it in the lunch.. your kimbap rice will be soft again… if it doesn’t.. maybe you can cook a little in the microwave.. (I guess you will have it at work.. ) before you eat it.. I hope my answer is helpful.. thanks
I am definitely going to be making this soon 😀
everything looks so yummy!!
thank you for sharing~ ^^
hi Lisa,
Yep.. try it and enjoy 🙂 thanks
Hi! Your Kimbab looks delicious especially after seeing how your baby wolf it down so fast. 😉
For health reasons, I was hoping to eat smaller meals at frequent intervals. Hopefully this might help. Minus too much time spend in the kitchen or having to reheat food.
For this recipe, how many kimbabs can u make? How long can it be kept at room temperature since I live at the Equator even if I keep it in a plastic container.
hi Rebecca,
You will get 10 rolls.. kimbap doesn’t taste that good after you keep it the refrigerator for more than half day.. because the rice becomes hard.. so what i do is.. just prepare all ingredients and keep them in the refrigerator..and whenever I want to eat fresh kimbap..I prepare rice and roll it before eating. ^^ Sine you told me about health..I wanted to tell this.. the yellow pickled radish is not that healthy to eat. thanks
Thx for the advice. ^^
Actually, I’m low in iron. I need to eat more meat.
Btw, I wish to make a recipe request for beef tendon with ginseng and bossum.
Have a nice day & take care~ 😛
hi Rebecca,
oops sorry but.. what is beef tendon with ginseng and bossum ?? It sounds like a Japanese food. ^^;; sorry for poor asnwer.
Your reply is fine. No worries.
I ate them at a korean restaurant here in Malaysia. Can’t remember the korean name for the braised beef tendon with ginseng. Sry~ Bossum is steamed pork which was pre-seasoned with ginseng. Served with shrimp like dipping sauce.
hi Rebecca,
I guess you meant.. bossam.. I will add it to my list. thanks 🙂
Hi Aeri,
Love your website for the authentic Korean recipes. I am from India and I have been watching Korean dramas for the past 10 yrs, thks to the english subtitles! I love Korean culture, dramas, art & food. The Korean people seem so kind & lively. My aunt also loves Korean food & dramas. The actors are sooooo handsome!
Take care!
Jayanti
Hello Aeri,
I saw your interview w/ koreataste.org and saw a snippet of your version of “baby kimbap” and wonder if you’ll make a section dedicated for baby/kid starting with “baby kimbap?” Videos are not totally necessary, instructional pictorials are more than suffice. Please.
hi Keane,
Oh.. Yes I also want to post baby..kid food .. just too many things to do right now..@,@ however.. okay I will add it to my list and make it for you someday… thanks 🙂
Hi i would like to make kimchi kimbap but i don’t know with what ? Thanks 😀
hi yunaito,
I will make kimchi kimbap someday…hehe thanks 🙂
OMG I just had a craving for kimbap but, the store is already closed so I decided to actually make it. I altered it a little but, it turned out AMAZING much better than the store bought. I made it with: spinach, carrot with salt n pepper this gave it a good kick, spam (chicken and pork), one egg with dashi (japanese broth),cucumber and the yellow radish. It turned out to be an amzaing snack. Although the only down side was that I didnt tightened it enough so when I cut it into pieces it was somewhat loose. Other than that YAY!!!! 😎 I feel acomplished hehehehhe…THANK YOU AERI your cooking videos always become my true guideance in Korean cooking!!!!
I’ve been wanting to try kimbap for some time and you gave me the courage to finally try to make it myself. I changed up some ingredients and probably need more practice rolling but it came out great for a first attempt. It was so delicious that I know I’ll be getting plenty of practice. Thank you so much for sharing and making it easy! Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
is it ok to use fish cakes instead of crab sticks when making this or any types of kimbap?
hi Jamdown,
Yes you can ^^ You can them the fish cakes in strips..and fry them with a little bit of oil, soy sauce, and minced garlic (not much..)
hi there! Just wanted to let you know I made KimBap for the first time today! I couldn’t find pickled radish in the middle of farm country Indiana but they did have fresh so I used that, cucumber, shrimp, egg, and roast beef lunch meat. Turned out so yummy. My 15 year old son ate TWO whole rolls all by himself. Thanks so much for this page and site. I have pinned many of your pages and foods to my pintrest board for Korean cooking. 감사합니다!
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try it. I have one question though: Can you store kimbap? If so, how? I’ve read that people refrigerate it, then microwave it . I’ve also heard people say that they wrap it in foil/plastic wrap and just leave it on the counter! What’s the best way?
Thanks!
hi April Tay,
If you are going to eat the kimbap in few hours.. I will say.. wrap it with foil or plastic wrap or put it in the container and leave it on the counter as other people said.. if you are going to keep it for more than a half day.. keep it in the refrigerator.. the rice will become hard..and doesn’t taste good anymore.. you can fry the kimbap on a stove pan with a little bit of oil.. or do microwave..
What I actually do is.. I keep the ingredients in the refrigerator but don’t roll the kimbap..and whenever I need to eat the kimbap..I prepare fresh rice and roll them.. ^^ Hope it helps.
Hi Aeri,
Thank you so much for all the wonderful dishes recipe. I finally enjoy cooking 😀
Can you tell me where I can buy the seedless cucumber or what is it call? I am having a hard time.
Happy
hi Happy,
If you live in USA.. I think you can get the seedless cucumber easily in a grocery store like Walmart.. thanks
Hi Aeri!
I was wondering if there is some other kind of ham or meat I could substitute for the ham you used? I don’t have Korean grocery stores where I live and it’s hard to find accurate brands and items similar to the ones you use. Most hams I are are the american style sliced ones used for sandwiches
hi Nancy,
You can use hot dog, spam, or chunk of ham (not the thin ones for sandwich..)… ^^ thanks
Hi, i was wondering if making the kimbap without the cucumber would be okay? b/c im pretty sure the local stores wont carry them & i dont live by Super HMart. -_-“
hi Melinda,
You can always use spinach instead of cucumber.. please check my beef kimbap recipe for spinach recipe.. thanks
hi, i just finish making kimbap~~~ oh my god~~ thank a lot LOL .. i love korean food .. anyway how long can i store/keep kimbap in chiller? 😀
hi aisan,
Kimbap tastes best in roomtamperature.. once you keep it in the refrigerator..the rice becomes hard..and doesn’t taste that good.. so I will say.. eat it in a day.. ^^ thanks
Thanks for the detailed step-by-step recipe and method 🙂 I tried making kimbap for the first time with my daughter yesterday evening. Although we did not manage to roll the kimbap up (as we put too much rice haha), we had fun making and eating it 🙂
Thank You very much for the recipe.. it was my first attempt in making Kimbap…and…it turned out well ^_^ My grandma couldn’t stop grabbing them off the plate..LOL >_<
OMG I just found this web!
thank you so much for the korean foods recipes!
now I really want to try it!
hi aeri is it necessary to add vinegar for the rice? I tried mixing just the cooked rice with a little sesame oil and olive oil but it tastes different. also can I check if you’re using short grained rice??
adding vinegar to the rice is.. Japanese style sushi..typical Korean style kimbap doesn’t add vinegar.. but it’s up to you.. depends on your taste you can use it or not.. yes..i used short grain rice.
hi aeri!
i’ve tried making kimbap without the bamboo mat and so the roll was really hard to cut into nice, clean pieces. instead, it broke apart and it was all messy. is the bamboo mat mandatory to cut the kimbap rolls without a mess, or is there a particular knife that works best with cutting? thanks 🙂
Hi there,
I just made some kimbap today without a bamboo mat, and it turned out okay. I think the trick here is to use a sharp knife and cover it slightly in water or sesame oil just before cutting the rolls. Hope this help.
Hihi! I plan to make all the ingredients first, then roll my kimbap the next day for my field trip. However, I have heard that omelette eggs cannot be stored for long or they’ll turn rubbery. And how do I store the rice? Please guide me on that! 🙂
hi Faith,
For over night, the omelette eggs will be okay for your kimbap. Just the problem will be your rice.. just make fresh rice in the morning..and prepare rest of kimbap ingredients the night before the picnic..and in the morning.. roll the kimbap with already prepared ingredients and the freshly cooked rice.. ^^
hi! just wanna ask should i use hot or cold rice? some say hot rice will make the seaweed soft. please help
hi Jown,
I like to use freshly cooked rice for good flavor and right texture. You are right.. too hot rice can make the seaweed soft.. so cool the cooked rice a little bit..but it’s okay if the rice is still warm..just not hot.. 🙂 thanks
how long can the 김밥 be kept? because we have picnic on the 17/12/13 and i was planning to do it on 14/12/13 . is it okay? :/.. i can’t do it on 15, 16 coz i wont be at home
😯
Hi aineen,
Oh.. I’m sorry but you can not keep kimbap that long. I only keep my keep bap a day.. or even half day.. the taste and texture of the rice change.. Maybe you can try to make something else..
Hello! Thank you for this amazing tutorial! I have a question, can you substitute pickled radish for something else? Thank you again!
hi RC,
Pickled radish is one of the main..unique flavor for Korean kimbap.. so it’s best to use it..but if you don’t have.. you have to skip or.. can use kimchi instead.. ^^ thanks
Hi!
According to the substitute of pickled radish, is it possibe to substitute it with salted pickled mustard instead? 🙂
hi Maya,
Oops… it’s up to you and it’s your taste..but if it’s me..probably I will not use that.. lol I don’t know if you tried pickled radish before..but the taste is salty and sweet.. but totally different from pickled cucumber… thanks
Hi, i want to ask you what is the brand of Seaweed which doesn’t has bad smell. Actually my japanese friend made a kimbap for me but i really didn’t like the smell. It smell too strong like if i eat a fresh fish ‘Awww
Can you told me a good brand!?
hi Alaa,
I guess, it’s not the matter of brand.. you just do not like the seaweed smell.. I don’t think there are much difference for small in different brands. Do you like kimbap or sushi? the taste.. or just do not like the smell ?? ^^ If you ask me what brand I use.. I can say..I use Sempio for my seaweed. Thanks
I enjoy reading your blog. I like the fact that you take your time and put the pictures and step-by-step instructions. I have a quick question about the bamboo mat, where can I buy it online? Today I went to World Market and bought one, but it is too short and seems like I would not be able to use it. Thanks, and keep cooking and posting pictures!
hi Elena,
I bought it at a Korean grocery store. Sometimes.. normal Asian grocery store sells it too. thanks
Hello, Aeri. I was wondering if I can substitute the ham for another ingredient. However, I don’t know what ingredient it should be (I was thinking about carrots, but won’t it change the taste of the KimBap?).
hi Sooji,
You can just skip the ham if you don’t want. If you still like to eat some kind of meat flavor in it.. you can also use hotdog.. spam.. etc.. thanks… yes carrot will change the flavor healthier in good way.. lol
Where can I buy the ingredient at if I’m in Minnesota
hi Chrissie,
I don’t know much about minesota..but if you can find a Korean or Asian grocery.. you might be able to find some Korean ingredients. You can also try online shopping for Korean ingredients such as amazon.. hmart..assi plaza.. try them. ^^ thanks
Hi 애리! I’m a kpop lover and I’ve watch so many korean dramas so far and I wanna give 김밥 a try! i’m living in Canada, where can I buy Yellow Pickled Radish by the way? 🙂 I’m craving for 김밥 and also 짜장면.
hi Ericka,
Try to find it at Korean or Asian grocery store near you. ^^ Hope you can find it and if you try it.. enjoy your kimbap. I love kimbap too. 🙂
Hello. I have been wondering about this for such a long time. Do we have to cook the crabstickd before rolling them up? If yes, do we have to boil or to steam?
thanksss!
hi nurul,
No, the crabsticks are already cooked, so you don’t have to do anything with it except cutting it. I hope you enjoy your kimbap. Thanks
Hi, i just wondering if i use meat like bulgogi for kimbab how long it can stay in room temperature? Can i use kimchi for kimbab too? Or it will make kimbab soggy? Thanks
hi Phoebe,
I will keep my kimbap in room temperature for a half day. Yes, you can use kimchi for your kimbap, just make sure that you try to remove extra liquid or kimchi broth for your kimchi before you put it in your kimbap. 🙂 Thanks