KOREA FOUNDATION

Ssam (wraps) may be the most versatile of all dishes, offering different tastes and unlimited fun as their recipes and fillings vary by region and season. Let’s explore some ssam from around the world that are as nourishing as they are mouthwateringly appetizing.
  Korean ssam use numerous vegetables from the land to the sea. These include the broad leaves of kkaennip (perilla), pumpkin and cabbages from the fields, and miyeok (sea mustard) and dasima (kelp) from the ocean. But of all the wraps, sangchu ssam, or lettuce wraps, are the most popular with Koreans. To enjoy this mealtime favorite, rice, meat, and seasoning paste are placed on one or more lettuce leaves which are wrapped around the filling. The lettuce and the filling combine in a flavorful harmony, delighting the palate. Indeed the practice of eating lettuce wraps is believed to date back centuries. Historical documents show that the ladies-in-waiting of the late Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392) who were taken to the Great Yuan of China grew lettuce so that they could enjoy sangchu ssam as a nostalgic taste of home.
  Some consider gỏi cuốn to be the Vietnamese version of Korean sangchu ssam, as both wraps are rich in vegetable freshness. To enjoy the Vietnamese wrap, known as wolnam ssam in Korea, pork, shrimp, vegetables, and thin noodles are wrapped with rice paper and dipped into fermented fish sauce or peanut sauce.
  In China, jingjiang rousi is made using a thin layer of dried tofu as a wrap instead of vegetables. To make the traditional dish, finely chopped pork is stir-fried with soy paste and placed on the tofu layer, with shredded leek added to taste. In Poland, the locals know ssam as golabki, meaning “little pigeons,” named after their distinctive shape. Golabki are made by wrapping pork or beef, rice, onions, and mushrooms in lightly boiled cabbage leaves before cooking them in tomato sauce. The dish serves as a hearty meal and is popular throughout Eastern Europe. In Mexico, tacos are a wrapped dish found across the nation’s dining tables. First, corn or wheat tortillas are made by cooking thinly rolled dough on a griddle or skillet. Then, the tortillas are filled with meat, vegetables, and cheese, before they are wrapped and promptly eaten. Ingredients can be adjusted according to taste, topped with a garnish of salsa or your favorite sauces.
  It seems that wherever you venture, there are local ssam just waiting to be enjoyed. Offering exciting variations in flavors and fillings, a meal of succulent ssam will have you energized for the rest of the day, no matter what name it goes by!

Written by Park Jiyoung
Illustrated by Jeong Hyoju

#Ssam#wraps#Shared_Tastes