부대찌개 (Army Stew) Budae Jjigae

One of the most bizarre fusion food that works so well. It's called Budae Jjigae.

I`m not sure if this is really true, but the urban myth behind this beloved food is that when Korea was still a developing country, people were generally very poor and always very hungry. People gathered up the thrown away items from the American military base (mostly canned food items such as beans, spam, etc) and made a stew out of it by adding in some kimchi (no surprise here) and whatever was available.

Today it's enjoyed by many Korean people of all ages. There are lots of toppings that go into the stew but usually it's served with: green onions, ham, sausages, beans, glass nooodles (dang myun), ramen noodles, tofu, mushrooms, rice cake, and of course, a scoop of kimchi. Most will cap off a section with a nice Kraft-like sheet of American cheese.

Most budae jjigae restaurants you can ask for additional items of your choice a la carte should you run out. They will gladly charge you for it though, unlike the free banchans that gets refilled. :)

Broth is usually a light beef broth. Since the broth is on the lighter side you can really taste the flavors of each individual items in the stew. Out of sheer laziness I often just use a generic beef broth from grocery stores, but it works rather well.

It`s an unique taste of really cheap western food items like canned beans and meats, melting together with a more complex flavors of kimchi.

If you guys get a chance try this dish. It's a nice companion to soju on a cold day. :)