Sundubu-jjigae facts for kids
 |
|
| Alternative names | Soft tofu stew |
|---|---|
| Type | Jjigae |
| Place of origin | Korea |
| Associated national cuisine | Korean cuisine |
| Main ingredients | Sundubu (extra soft tofu) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
순두부찌개
|
|---|---|
| Hanja |
-豆腐--
|
| Revised Romanization | sundubu-jjigae |
| McCune–Reischauer | sundubu-tchigae |
| IPA | [sun.du.bu.t͈ɕi.ɡɛ̝] |
Sundubu-jjigae (Hangul: 순두부찌개) is a popular and tasty stew from Korean cuisine. It is often called "soft tofu stew" in English. This warm and comforting dish is made with a special type of very soft tofu.
The stew also includes fresh vegetables like onions and sometimes mushrooms. You can add seafood such as oysters, mussels, clams, or shrimp. Some recipes also use meat like beef or pork. A key ingredient for its spicy flavor is gochujang (Korean chili paste) or gochugaru (Korean chili powder).
Sundubu-jjigae is usually cooked and served in the same bowl. This bowl is often made of thick porcelain or stone. Just before you eat it, a raw egg can be added. The stew arrives at your table bubbling hot! People usually enjoy it with a bowl of white rice and several small side dishes called banchan.
The special soft tofu used in this dish is called sundubu (순두부) in Korean. It means "pure tofu" because it is very mild and hasn't been pressed. This makes it much softer than other kinds of tofu. You can often find sundubu sold in tubes.
History of Sundubu-jjigae
People have been using unpressed tofu in Korean cooking for a long time. Records from the Joseon dynasty show that an early version of sundubu-jjigae was served back then. Some historians believe that this soft tofu dish became popular among everyday people during the Joseon dynasty.
Sundubu-jjigae Around the World
After the Korean War, some American soldiers who had been in South Korea brought back recipes for jjigae, including soft tofu stew.
In 1986, a restaurant called Beverly Soon Tofu opened in Koreatown, Los Angeles. This was the first restaurant in the United States to focus only on sundubu-jjigae. By the 1990s, more and more sundubu-jjigae restaurants became popular across the U.S.
The dish became even more famous thanks to Hee Sook Lee. She was a Korean immigrant who opened her own sundubu restaurant, BCD Tofu, also in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Her restaurant grew into a big chain across the country. Because of its popularity overseas, sundubu-jjigae has even been brought back to South Korea as a popular dish.
See also
In Spanish: Sundubu jjigae para niños
