Evolution of BIBIMBAB

Marvin Harris, an American anthropologist said that “cultural evolution has hitherto been shaped by unconscious impersonal forces.” He believed that people’s eating culture evolves according to social changes. During the transition from 19^th to 20^th century, not only “how” people ate but also “what” they ate evolved. Bibimbab is one of many Korean dishes that changed over 100 years [2]. 

Though Jeonju bibimbab is advertised as and known for the “original” bibimbab, Jeonju bibimbab is very different from the prototype of bibimbab recorded in Korean history. Also, the old recipes for bibimbab were all different. The term bibimbab first appeared in Si eui jun suh (是議全書) written in 1890s. Bibimbab in Si eui jun suh does not have sauce. Chef mixed rice with different vegetables sides and topped with meat and egg strips. Shinyoung Bang also described bibimbab in her book called Chosun food recipes (朝鮮料理製法). Shinyoung Bang’s bibimbab was close to fried rice with meat toppings and a sprinkle of pepper powder [3].

  

Image of old bibimbab restaurant in 1900s

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The modern eating style of bibimbab appeared in 20^th century when bibimbab had has become a steady selling menu at gookbab restaurants. Chefs put topped rice with vegetables, and the customers mixed them – just like what we do in nowadays. By making the customers mix rice and toppings, chefs could serve the food faster. “The consumption of beef has increased because of cattle markets” which expanded since 1920s. People started to top bibimbap with yukhoe, beef sashimi. As a result people started to season bibimbab with chili pepper paste [2,4].

 Map of local bibimbabs

copyright 2014. Yeong-ran Ahn all rights reserved.

Bibimbab was a nationwide big hit. Modernization of Chosun led to competition among bibimbab restaurants. Local restaurants invented unique, new recipes, and Jeonju bibimbab was one of them. Fried vegetables, chicken strips, and Hwanghae do’s popular dried seaweed were used in Hwanghae do Haeju bibimbab. Gyeongsang buk do Andong’s bibimbab looks like the food prepared for jesa, the Confucius ritual to commemorate ancestors; salt, sesame oil, and soy sauce were used to season bibimbab. Red-light district industry prospered in Gyeongsang nam do Jinju, and Gi-bangs served luxurious and fancy bibimbab. The rice was topped with five to six different boiled vegetables, beef sashimi, smashed clam, and dried seaweed; then Meat based broth was poured on top of it. [1, 4]. However, people started to forget local bibimbabs except for the most famous Jeonju bibimbab after the Gyeongbu express was built in 1970s. Jeonju bibimbab restaurants franchised throughout the nation and dominated the bibimbab restaurant industry. Local bibimbab restaurants could not survive in the competition. As a result modern people only remember Jeonju bibimbab [1].

References:

1. EBS DocuPrime: A Talk about Korean Food. Educational Broadcasting System, 2012.

2. Joo, Youngha. "A Study on Evolution and Discourse of BIBIMBAB" Society and History 2010. 87():5-38. Print

3. Joo, Youngha. Food Humanities. Seoul: Humanist, 2013. Print.

4. Hwang, Kyo. Empire of the Taste. Seoul: Ddabi, 2010. Print.