Gimbap

Gimbap is seasoned rice and fillings rolled tight in gim, Korean roasted 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

The rice, boiled or steamed, is usually seasoned with sesame oil and salt rather than the vinegar typical of sushi rice, so it reads savoury and nutty rather than tangy. The wrapper is gim, similar to Japanese nori. The fillings are laid on the sheet in neat strips and rolled tight enough to hold their shape once sliced: the classic set is pan-fried egg and carrot, spinach, yellow pickled radish (danmuji) and often ham, but fillings vary and can also include fish cake, cucumber or burdock root.

The rice is usually seasoned with oil, not vinegar. That is what most often keeps gimbap tasting distinct from sushi, even though the two look almost identical rolled and sliced.

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

• Declare the egg 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.
• The classic version includes ham, so it is not vegetarian; vegetarian versions without ham or fish are common, so say if one is offered. Because of the egg, it is not vegan.
• Some fillings, such as fish cake, imitation crab or soy-braised burdock root, add fish, soy or wheat; declare these according to the actual filling.