Korean Popular Food Budae-jjigae(spicy sausage stew) Introduction/History

 

Budae-jjigae(spicy sausage stew)

 Budae-jjigae(spicy sausage stew) Introduction

Budae-jjigae literally means stew for military bases, and is a thick Korean soup dish similar to Western stews. The most commonly used ingredients include ham, sausage, baked beans, kimchi, ramen, rice cake, and tofu.

History

After the Korean War broke out, Korea became in short supply of food. Accordingly, Koreans who worked with the US military made stew with red pepper paste using hot dogs or canned hams (eg, Spam) of US military bases stationed in Dongducheon, Yangju, Uijeongbu, Pyeongtaek of Geyonggi.-do and Gunsan of Jeollabuk-do. In the early days, the American soldiers used leftovers or secretly stolen food from the supplies of the American soldiers, so it was called "military bases" (Budae) stew.

Budaejjigae is still popular in post-poverty Korea, and even adds ramen noodles, a modern instant food. Uijeongbu City, an area adjacent to the Armistice Line, is home to many US Army military bases and is famous for Budaejjigae. When it comes to Uijeongbu, there is a saying that it is Budaejjigae. Pyeongtaek City is also home to many US Air Force bases and is famous for Budaejjigae.

source: wikipedia korean page