Bugak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bugak

Dasima-bugak (deep-fried kelp)
Type	Fritter
Place of origin	Korea
Associated national cuisine	Korean cuisine

Bugak (pronounced boo-gahk) is a special kind of Korean snack or side dish. It's a vegetarian fritter that's deep-fried. To make it, dried vegetables or seaweed are covered in a sticky glutinous rice paste. Then, they are dried again before being deep-fried until crispy.

People often eat Bugak as a banchan (a small side dish with rice) or as an anju (a snack with drinks). Some common ingredients include green chili peppers, perilla leaves, kelp, and gim (laver). They are usually fried in perilla oil or soybean oil.

Bugak is a unique cooking method in Korea. It's often found in Korean temple cuisine, which focuses on vegetarian dishes. Another similar dish is dasima twigak, which is deep-fried without the sticky coating.

What Kinds of Bugak Are There?

There are many different types of Bugak, depending on what main ingredient is used. Each one offers a unique taste and texture. Here are some popular examples:

• Carrot Bugak (dangeun-bugak): Made with carrots.
• Kelp Bugak (dasima-bugak): Uses kelp, a type of seaweed.
• Perilla Inflorescence Bugak (deulkkae-songi-bugak): Made from the flower clusters of the perilla plant.
• Camellia Leaf Bugak (dongbaek-ip-bugak): Uses leaves from the camellia flower.
• Angelica Tree Shoot Bugak (dureup-bugak): Made with young shoots from the angelica tree.
• Castor Aralia Shoot Bugak (eumnamu-sun-bugak): Uses shoots from the castor aralia tree.
• Tree of Heaven Shoot Bugak (gajuk-bugak): Made from the shoots of the tree of heaven.
• Potato Bugak (gamja-bugak): Uses thin slices of potato.
• Persimmon Leaf Bugak (gamnnip-bugak): Made with persimmon leaves.
• Laver Bugak (gim-bugak): Uses gim, a popular dried seaweed.
• Chili Pepper Bugak (gochu-bugak): Made with green chili peppers.
• Chrysanthemum Leaf Bugak (gukhwa-ip-bugak): Uses leaves from the chrysanthemum flower.
• Perilla Leaf Bugak (kkaennip-bugak): Made with perilla leaves.
• Ramie Leaf Bugak (mosi-ip-bugak): Uses leaves from the ramie plant.
• Eleuthero Leaf Bugak (ogapi-ip-bugak): Made with eleuthero leaves.
• Green Laver Bugak (parae-bugak): Uses green laver, another type of seaweed.
• Korean Mugwort Bugak (ssuk-bugak): Made with Korean mugwort.
• Burdock Leaf Bugak (ueong-ip-bugak): Uses leaves from the burdock plant.

Gallery

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  Gim-bugak (deep fried seaweed)

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  Gochu-bugak (deep fried chili peppers)

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  Dureup-bugak (deep fried angelica tree shoots) with chal-jeonbyeong (glutinous rice pancakes)

See also

In Spanish: Bugak para niños