Gimbap for spring picnics

By Hansik Promotion Institute

Gimbap is a beloved Korean dish that perfectly balances flavor, texture and portability, making it ideal for picnics, school lunches or quick meals on the go. This recipe provides a traditional take, featuring savory marinated beef, crisp vegetables and fluffy rice, all wrapped in toasted laver. The key to great gimbap lies in careful preparation: use rice with just the right amount of moisture, evenly cut fillings and a gentle but firm rolling technique. While this version stays classic, feel free to get creative by swapping in tuna, kimchi or even cream cheese for modern twists. Gimbap is as fun to make as it is to eat.

Ingredients

Marinade for beef

Brine for cucumber

Preparation

Prepare the cooked white rice. To prevent the rice from becoming too sticky, use less water than usual. While the rice is hot, mix with salt and sesame oil. Cool slightly for handling.

Marinate the beef with soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic and ground pepper for 20 minutes. Once marinated, stir-fry till fully cooked.

Cut the pickled radish into strips the length of the laver and the thickness of a pencil.

Cut the cucumber to the same length as the laver, and then remove seeds. Cut into strips as thick as pencils. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the cucumber brine and soak the cucumber for 30 minutes. Then pat dry to remove excess liquid.

Cut the carrot into fine julienne strips. In a skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat and stir-fry them. Season with salt. Let them cool.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs well with a pinch of salt. In a nonstick pan, fry the eggs into thick sheets and cut them into strips the same size as the cucumber.

Cooking

Place a sheet of the toasted laver shiny-side down on a bamboo mat. Put a cup of seasoned rice in the center of the sheet. Spread the rice evenly over the bottom 3/4 of the laver. Make sure not to have an overly thick layer of rice or the gimbap will not roll properly.

Arrange the beef, a slice of pickled radish, cucumber, carrot and egg at the center of the rice. Make sure to align them across the sheet. Roll the bamboo mat forward towards the non-rice covered end. While you roll, press firmly to shape the roll while remaining gentle enough to not damage the laver.

Grease the knife with sesame oil, then cut the rolls into 1 cm thick pieces.

Tip

It is important to cook the rice properly without too much moisture to prevent the rice from being overly sticky. The rice can be seasoned with just salt, or with a sauce made from vinegar, sugar and salt. Different flavors and styles of gimbap can be created depending on the ingredients used, such as kimchi, cheese or salad vegetables.

Serves 4.