Bossam

Bossam is a Korean dish of pork boiled until tender, then sliced and eaten wrapped in leafy vegetables with condiments. It is usually served as a shared plate in restaurants and at home.

What it really is

Bossam is built on pork belly or pork shoulder simmered in a pot with aromatics such as ginger, spring onion, garlic and sometimes a little doenjang or rice wine. The meat is cooked until it is soft but still holds its shape, then rested and cut into thin, bite-sized slices. The fat is part of the appeal, and it is usually left on the meat.

It is distinct from samgyeopsal, which is the same pork belly grilled at the table and eaten without a boiling step. Bossam is also distinct from jokbal, which uses pig trotters and is cooked longer until the skin gelatinises. Bossam is served cold or warm, and the wrap, not the sauce, is what makes it bossam.

How it's served

• Sliced pork is arranged on a platter with napa cabbage kimchi, raw garlic cloves, green chillies and salted shrimp.
• Each diner takes a lettuce or cabbage leaf, adds a piece of pork and a little condiment, then folds it into one bite.
• Ssamjang, a thick fermented soybean and chilli paste, is often offered alongside as a dip.
• Bossam is commonly ordered as a shared main, often with rice, soup or noodles to follow.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the pork cut and the cooking method, for example boiled pork belly bossam, so guests know it is not grilled samgyeopsal.
• Note that the classic version includes salted shrimp (jeotgal), which contains CRUSTACEANS, and that ssamjang and doenjang contain SOY and WHEAT.
• State whether the kimchi is made with fish sauce or salted shrimp, since most kimchi contains both.
• Specify the leaf wrap offered (lettuce, perilla or napa cabbage) and whether extra ssamjang or sauces are available.