Dosirak facts for kids

A variety of Dosirak (packed meal)

Dosirak (pronounced doh-shee-rak) is a popular Korean packed meal, often eaten for lunch. It's like a lunchbox filled with delicious Korean food! It usually has bap (cooked rice) and several banchan (side dishes).

These lunchboxes, also called dosirak or dosirak-tong (dosirak case), are usually made of plastic or special thermo-steel. They can have different sections or layers to keep foods separate. While many people make dosirak at home, you can also buy them at train stations and convenience stores.

History of Dosirak

The idea of dosirak as we know it today came to Korea when Japan ruled Korea (from 1910 to 1945). The Japanese had their own version of a packed meal called bento.

The word bento actually came from the Chinese word biandang. This Chinese word means "convenient" or "easy to use." During this time, Korean food also started to include some Japanese ideas. For example, gimbap, which are seaweed rolls, became very popular in Korea.

Different Kinds of Dosirak

There are many types of dosirak, each with its own special features.

Home-made Dosirak

Home-made dosirak is often packed in lunchboxes with different layers. These layers help keep the bap (cooked rice) and banchan (side dishes) separate. If soup (called guk) is included, it's usually kept warm in an insulated layer.

Most home-made dosirak containers are made of plastic or thermo-steel. However, some traditional ones use wood, lacquer, ceramics, or bamboo.

Yennal-dosirak

Yennal-dosirak (pronounced yen-nal doh-shee-rak) means "old-time dosirak." This classic lunchbox usually comes in a rectangular tin or metal box. It often contains bap (rice), spicy stir-fried kimchi, pan-fried sausages coated in egg, fried eggs, and shredded gim (seaweed).

Before eating, people often shake the closed lunchbox. This mixes all the ingredients together, making a delicious and fun meal!

Gimbap-dosirak

Gimbap-dosirak is a dosirak made with sliced gimbap (seaweed rolls). These are very popular for picnics or outings because they are easy to eat and carry.

Images for kids

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  A Seonbi (scholar) enjoying lunch

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  A traditional pile-type Dosirak from the Joseon Dynasty

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  A home-made dosirak

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  Yennal-dosirak (old-time dosirak)

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  Gimbap-dosirak

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  Dosirak sold in convenience stores

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  A simple dosirak in a plastic container

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  A thermal dosirak case to keep food warm

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  A catering company storefront in Koreatown, Los Angeles