Gimbap

Gimbap is seasoned rice and vegetables rolled tight in dried seaweed and sliced into rounds. It is Korea's everyday packed lunch, sold whole from convenience stores or by the piece from small stalls, and it looks similar to Japanese sushi rolls without actually being one.

What it really is

Rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt rather than the vinegar used in sushi rice, which is the first real difference between the two — gimbap's rice reads savoury and nutty rather than tangy. A handful of cooked fillings — carrot, spinach, egg, sometimes pickled radish or ham — line the seaweed sheet in neat strips, and the whole thing rolls tight enough to hold its shape once it's sliced into rounds.

The rice is seasoned with oil, not vinegar. That single swap is what keeps gimbap tasting distinct from sushi despite looking almost identical rolled and sliced; using vinegared rice instead turns it into something else entirely.

How it is served

• Sliced into rounds, arranged on a plate or packed for takeaway.
• At room temperature, rarely chilled or heated.
• As a packed lunch, a snack, or a light meal alongside soup.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the egg used in the filling and the sesame oil in the rice.
• List the fillings used, since versions vary widely and guests often have a preferred combination.
• Say if a vegetarian version is offered, since ham and other meat fillings are common but easy to leave out.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.