A Not-So-Comprehensive Review of Gimbap Varieties

Hey, thanks for visiting! I've actually moved this blog post to my new site, so please go check it out there! 

↓

A Log of Things - Gimbap Varieties

As you may know, kimchi is the life-blood of Korea. It’s eaten at almost every meal; breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it doesn’t matter. Koreans live and die by kimchi. But, there’s a second, equally important type of food that is too often overlooked: the delicious, discounted delicacy that is gimbap.

Gimbap is Korea's version of sushi, whether they'll admit it or not. In its most basic form, gimbap is an assortment of vegetables (carrots, burdock roots, radishes, etc.), meats (spam, imitation crab, tuna), and other ingredients (egg and cheese) wrapped in sticky rice, wrapped in roasted seaweed. Specialty gimbap can include kimchi and various meats, spices, and sauces. It’s delicious, nutritious(?), and extraordinarily affordable at any convenience store or restaurant. A full sized gimbap is enough for a filling lunch and costs, at maximum, $2.00.

I’d say I eat gimbap four, maybe five times a week. At this point, I consider myself an expert on the dish, a connoisseur, if you will. The smells, the tastes, the performance of the different wooden chopsticks, I know it all. To pass on some of this vast knowledge, I’ve taken it upon myself to review a variety of gimbap flavors and styles. This short review series is not complete and certainly not comprehensive. To fully understand the intricacies of convenience store gimbap takes time and focus. Still, take this as an opportunity to learn about an exotic culture's cuisine.

First, a few definitions

• Bulgogi: Marinated beef strips
• Chamchi: Tuna
• Kimchi: Salted and fermented vegetables, usually cabbage. Staple of Korean cuisine.
• Konbini: Convivence stores
• Tonkatsu: Fried pork cutlet
• 7-11: Same as the 7-11 in the U.S. of A. My personal favorite chain of konbinis because they’re cheap, clean, and the guy working at the one down the street is always nice to me.
• CVS for U: Widely known as just CU, this is CVS’ foray into the Korean convenience store market. They are newer and have a unique selection of gimbap.
• GS25: The third konbini of the “big three” chains. I’d consider GS to be the ugly stepchild of konbinis. 

Tonkatsu Gimbap (CU)

• Has a sweet, flavorful sauce akin to the Big Mac sauce at McDonalds. Vegetables play second-fiddle to the pork
• Tonkatsu adds a much-needed texture, great for mouth feel
• 2500 Won (~$2.00) is on the expensive side, but it’s probably worth the premium cost

      Verdict: A solid 7/10

Chamchi Gimbap (Gimbap Chong-guk)

• Has a different taste than the convenience store gimbaps, but that’s not necessarily to its benefit
• The vegetables are noticeably fresher
• The rice is as dry as West Texas
• No wow factor whatsoever

      Verdict: 4/10

Chamchi Gimbap from (7-11)

• As vanilla as they come but still the old standby of Korean gimbap
• Calories per won, it simply cannot be beat
• Arguably, these are flavorless hunks of rice, tuna, and seaweed

      Verdict: Perfectly average, 5/10

Bulgogi Gimbap (GS25)

• GS25 gimbaps have a superior seaweed wrap
• Bulgogi, as a protein, is not the best introduction to gimbap. It’s flavor does not meld well with the vegetables.
• The rice left room to be desired. A lot of room
• I added some kimchi on top, excellent idea on my part

      Verdict: Boring 4/10

      With added kimchi: 7/10

      Brilliance of adding kimchi: 11/10

Original Gimbap (CU)

• Nothing is added for flavor or texture. Perfect if you love the taste of rice.
• Essentially just calories at this point
• Waste of a good gimbap opportunity

      Verdict: calories/10

Spicy Pork Gimbap (CU)

• Brings the perfect amount of spiciness. It’ll leave you sweating but not yet regretting your decision to eat more gimbap.
• It’s common knowledge that pork is far superior than beef in gimbap
• Everything a konbini gimbap should be: tasty, spicy, and full of calories

      Verdict: 8/10

Original Sesame (Noodle place downstairs that is never open when you want it to be)

• Sesame adds a welcome sweetness
• As with other non-konbini gimbaps, has an undeniable fresh taste. Like eating your first strawberry after a month of only Jacked 3D Jalapeño Pepper Jack Doritos^TM
• Kimchi would be an excellent addition

      Verdict: 7/10

Hot pepper gimbap (CU)

• Hot pepper adds a unique, mushy consistency to gimbap
• The pepper has a good burn. The burn helps you ignore the fact that you’ve eaten gimbap for 12 days straight and your body is starting to hate you.
• Something solid or a protein would go a long way with this one

      Desperation level: Tom Hanks in Cast Away

Bonus: Tonkatsu Burger (CU)

• 90% bun
• With more meat, sauce, and lettuce, it might actually be edible
• Perfect dessert after a delicious gimbap

      Verdict: 4/10

      Korean-ness: 10/10

For better writing than my own

At this point, it would be a charade to consider this a travel blog. Instead of walking you through the five different types of kimbap I ate this week (which I am most certainly doing next week!), I'd rather share the things I enjoy reading. The internet houses a million and one articles to read, most of which are written by angsty college students like myself to show what great writers they are. Not so, with the list before you!

Long-form journalism is, in my opinion, an underappreciated form of writing. For the uninitiated, long-form writing is generally exceeds 1,000 words but wouldn't fill a full novel. Journalists spend months or years working on single stories, crafting countless hours of research into a commute's read. While not as instantly shareable as headline articles or as thorough as complete books, they provide a digestible medium for the world’s most fascinating topics. Your favorite documentary or “based on a true story” movie probably has a long-form writer to thank for originally reporting the story. Organizations like The New Yorker or Atavist are treasure-troves of engrossing and informative writing that deserve more attention. In case you are dubious of my claims, I’ve compiled a list of some of journalism's best pieces from a variety of sources. It’s a mix of exposés, tragic tales, and unbelievable people. My hope is that you’ll find something that piques your interest and dive right in. If you don’t see anything you like or are interested in more, I’d highly recommend checking out sites like Longform.org or Longreads.com for massive collections of stories sort-able by genre. Check 'em out and let me know what you think, links are below the titles.

The Interpreter by John Colapinto

The New Yorker

Unequivocally, The Interpreter is the most thought-provoking piece of journalism I’ve ever read. It follows the life and work of linguist Dan Everett as he combats long-standing beliefs about language. The article primarily focuses on the Pirahã, a remote Amazonian tribe that, among other things, does not use numbers, colors, or the past tense in their language. To them, people and things simply leave existence when not visible, like a toddler without object permanence. The Pirahã have proven to be a contentious point of discussion between academic linguists who are mystified by facets of the Amazonian people's language. By the end, John Colapinto has you doubting the idea of the color blue while simultaneously reinforcing a certain level of universal humanity. 

Everett himself, having lived with the Pirahã for over 25 years, becomes a central character in the story. Originally being sent to the Amazon as a missionary, he begins to question the structures of academia, the concept of perception, and even his own faith. Everett fights his whole life against established institutions, cutting through the B.S. with logic and an unwavering commitment to truth. He's the academic we all want to be: a modern India Jones without the rolling boulders or cannibals. I’d recommend The Interpreter to anyone and everyone, if for no other reason than as a conversation piece – I know I talk about the Pirahã at every chance I get. 

Sunk by Mitch Moxley

Atavist

This multi-media article describes the harrowing production of a 140-million-dollar Chinese blockbuster that never was. Driven by the insanity of a Chinese real-estate billionaire, Empires of the Deep was supposed to be China’s first foray into the Hollywood-style epic, complete with ambitious underwater battle scenes and top of the line CGI. Instead, the 10-year production (it still hasn’t been released) was plagued with financial problems, a revolving door of writers and directors, and constant cultural clashes between the Chinese crew and Western actors. The saga even includes a daring escape by the film’s lead actress, fleeing from set by sneaking out her window and wading across a river. 

As someone living in Asia, I couldn’t help but relate with many of the people who worked on Empires. My favorite part of the story involves the director joking telling the crew to build a wall to cover up some unsightly hotels, only to arrive on set the next to a massive partition. More than anything, Sunk displays the cultural and communicative differences that continue to seperate East and West. Even without the cultural overtones, though, Sunk is still an excellent and hilarious dive (pun intended) into how not to make a movie. Check it out if you want a few laughs and/or cringes.

Inside the Hunt for the World’s Most Notorious Hacker by Garrett M. Graff

Wired

Evgeniy Bogachev, AKA Slavik in the cyber community, was a hacker of unprecedented power that, up until his capture, enjoyed complete anonymity. Inside the Hunt tracks the continent-crossing investigation into Slavik’s widespread network of hackers. The read often feels like a cat and mouse Hollywood flick, with the world’s best cyber-specialists battling it out on both sides of the law. FBI forces spend months planning advanced sting operations on Slavik’s system of “zombie” computers, only to be thwarted time and time again by layers of unexpected defenses. The hacker was, in fact, the founder of the industry leading encryption software, making him and extraordinarily cunning target. Eventually a specialized team is formed to uncover Slavik's secrets end his reign of terror. Although the article is highly technical, the story behind the chase is more than enough reason to pick this one up, and as a bonus for anyone curious about the recent global cyber-security attack, it also explains in detail how ransomware attacks operate. 

Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Dartmouth’s Hazing Abuses by Janet Reitman

Rolling Stone

Long-form writing isn’t always as glamorous as a grand hunt for a world-renowned hacker. No, sometimes writers like Janet Reitman tackle issues a lot closer to home. Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy is not a fun read. It chronicles the woes of fraternity life through the eyes of a participatory student. Andrew Lohse was a fairly typical frat-boy at Dartmouth, one of the most prestigious and selective universities in the U.S. Dartmouth is known for two things: producing captains of industry and facilitating an extensive Greek life. The article states that half of all students at the New Jersey university are in fraternities and sororities. 

At Dartmouth, Lohse is dragged through a nearly diabolical initiation into one of the school’s fraternities. The “pledges” are forced to drink inordinate amounts of alcohol, preform menial tasks for the “brothers”, and, at one point, are told to swim in a pool of human feces and vomit. Lohse, after being kicked-out of the fraternity, takes it upon himself to expose the system for what it is: a breeding ground for intolerant alcoholics that will one day run the country. However, not all is what it seems. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that Lohse is not quite the good-guy he portrays himself. Confessions is a disgusting and revealing read about modern American higher education, check it out.

Scaling the World’s Most Lethal Mountain in the Dead of Winter by Michael Powell

TheNew York Times

In Scaling the World’s Most Lethal Mountain, we get to step into the world of competitive high-altitude climbing, and if there’s one thing I gleaned from Michael Powell’s story, it’s that Poles are crazy, crazy people. Prepping for the first ever winter climb of K2, the world’s second tallest and most dangerous mountain, Polish expert climber Krzysztof Wielicki is establishing his crack team of professionals. On average, someone dies during every climb of K2, and no one has ever made a summit during winter months. The feat remains the last true challenge in the world of extreme climbing. The article goes beyond just the singular climb, though, by examining the greater culture of climbing in Poland. Poles have been at the forefront of the climbing community since its inception with no real reason beyond extraordinary commitment. In fact, many of the climbers in the story are normal people, bakers and mechanics. What drives them is nothing more than an intense love of climbing and the never-ending fear of death.  

The Friend: Love is Not a Big Enough Word by Matthew Teague

Esquire

"Before this is over," she said, "you will long for it to end.

Never, I said.

The Friend: Love is Not a Big Enough Word is about a man watching his wife die and the friend who came to his side during the worst of it. I don't know what to say beyond: this is a hard read. This isn't The Fault in our Stars kind of sickness; this is real, slow, painful, disgusting death. Matthew Teague  

recounts the hardest events of his life with the clarity and honesty of a confessional. His reactions to his wife's deterioration are at times harsh, but by the end of the read, you've got nothing but sympathy for him, his kids, and Dane, the Friend. 

Long-form writing is all about telling stories. Most of the time, they are exciting investigations or wacky adventures. Matthew Teague's story is anything but that; it's excruciating. There's no agenda in his writing and maybe even no lesson to be learned besides one of friendship. However, it should be read. It's more truly human than anything than you've watched or read in years.   

The Mastermind by Evan Ratliff

Atavist

Alright, buckle in for this one; it’s a seven-part, multi-media article of novel length. The Mastermind follows a variety of stories, from the murder of a Filipino real-estate agent to the foundation of the gold-standard encryption tool, to tell the saga of Paul Le Roux, the most powerful criminal kingpin you’ve never heard of. I don’t want to spoil too much of this one; the intrigue lies in the unbelievable twists and turns and unforgettable characters. The article (not even if can still be called that) is more akin to a podcast like Serial than a traditional piece of journalism. Evan Ratliff talks through the events of his research even as he receives new information, resulting in an on-the-fly feel that leaves you hungry for more. 

The Mastermind is everything investigative journalism should be. It's a story of massive size and scope, obviously the result of thousands of hours of investigation, boiled down into bite sized chunks of excellent writing. If you have a few hours to kill or just want to read some damn-fine reporting, Atavist’sThe Mastermind is perfect for you.

French Indo-Korea

I have to issue an apology to anyone who has been waiting for a blog post for a solid two weeks now. A mixture of illness, lack of interesting content, and good old fashioned laziness have kept me from away from the keyboard. I've been rationalizing the tardiness by saying it’s better not to post than to post lackluster writing. Whether that's true, I'm not too sure. If anyone would like me to write about a specific topic or aspect of my life, please let me know. I'm always open to suggestions. 

The girls. Left to Right: Neama, Lola, Ibtihal, Bérénice, Capucine

Perhaps more than anything else, my time in South Korea has been defined by the people I live with. Capucine, Neama, Ibti, Bere, Lola, Andre, and Dongryeong. All accounted for, there are three Frenchies, two Moroccans, one German, one Korean, and, of course, one American. As I’ve mentioned before, the Moroccan girls grew up in French speaking schools and attend French universities, so for simplicity’s sake, they are French-Moroccan. I only emphasize their Frenchness to fully portray the completeness with which France has invaded my daily life. 

It’s a funny thing, moving all the way to Asia only to have French culture dominate what I hear, see, and taste. I haven’t decided whether that's regrettable, typical for foreign students, or a lucky happenstance. My time in Seoul has been far less "Korean" that I originally imagined. Does that mean I didn't fully experience Korea or that I wasted my time here? I certainly don't think so, but I can already imagine the conversations when I return, where my stories of Korea will be curiously laden with baguettes and bad French pop music. But, that's the way it goes, so instead of reflecting on my Korean life, I thought it would be more authentic to reflect on my French one.

Our polaroid wall

Buddha's Birthday

The most obvious point of assault is language. French voices account for the majority of what I hear on a daily basis. “Ça va?” is much more common in our apartment than “How are you?”.  At this point, I vacillate between a great respect and an inordinate disdain for the French language. It truly is beautiful at times, with a rich history and fascinating usage. However, I don’t speak French and, accordingly, can't share in its benefits. As punishment, I am forced to regularly sit in rooms full of nasally laughter without having the slightest clue of what’s going on. Andre and I, in efforts to avoid this cluelessness, often have our own conversations across tables or rooms. The frustration goes both ways, though. The plethora of French speakers often have to speak my mother tongue, despite being in the large majority.

Food, as is the French way, is the next infestation. I believe the girls only made it a week before hosting a crêpe night. The Frenchies take great pride in their food, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the benefits of that pride. My diet has become a hodgepodge of American, Korean, and French foods. Thanks to visits from Capucine and Lola’s parents, our fridge is stocked with odorous cheeses, champagne from Champagne, and the spreadable meat/fat concoctions that are pâté, rillettes, and terrine (I still don’t know the difference but, apparently, all terrine are pâté but not all pâté are terrine). Writing this, I am reminded of the potent smell that seems to accompany everything the French eat. Also, I would like to shout out saucisson for being the best cured meat product I've had since my dad's famous "deer sticks".

Enjoying Spring in Seoul

I thought I had escaped the madness that is political elections after I left the U.S. 4 months ago. Two years of grueling elections had left America, me included, absolutely exhausted. Little did I know that France – and Korea for that matter – was in the middle of its own presidential election. Although not as vitriolic as our own, the French election brought its own brand of fascinating politics, with international implications and scandals galore. The names of candidates – Macron, Le Pen, Melenchon, Lassalle – were commonplace enough in my apartment that I might possibly be able to correctly pronounce Emmanuel Macron’s name. Possibly. Each week, I'd bother the girls for recent news or their opinions of the candidates. I have to say, sitting on the outside as a witness makes politics remarkably more enjoyable. With no skin in the game, there's no reason to live in perpetual fear. Now that the dust has settled, I am once again without polls to check incessantly or headlines to read. I’m not sure how I’ll survive...

One thing I’ve come to realize over the past few years is how completely separate media consumption is between cultures. Obviously, French people watch French T.V. and movies, but it’s always a strange to me when they don’t know Stevie Ray Vaughn or have never seen Saturday Night Live. The lack of overlap means I am in a constant state of astonishment. I can't tell you the number of times I've said, "Wait, you haven't seen that?!?" after I make a reference to The Office or something similar. For every important American figure or piece of media they don’t know, there’s two French equivalents I would never have heard of otherwise. For every Jon Stewart there’s a Yann Barthès, and for every Breakfast Club there’s a Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu? We all live in these little bubbles of entertainment that shape our collective conscious, and now my bubble, for better or worse, has grown to include French reality T.V., racist comedies, and cult classics from the 90’s. In my limited experience, I think this entertainment gap accounts for just a much cultural diversity as language or cuisine. It's the nitty-gritty of who we are, or in other words, the stories, music, and art that define how we think and feel. Learning about the intricacies of these cultural identities is probably my favorite aspect of living abroad. It's exciting to know that there's this abundance of unknown things to read, watch, and listen to. 

Regardless of how much time I spend idly listening to French conversations or complaining about silly French idiosyncrasies, I want to express my gratitude towards my French companions in Seoul. Thanks for taking the time to explain the entirety of French politics to me, thanks for feeding me your most prized French delicacies, thanks for translating jokes ten minutes after they were funny. Most of all, Lola, Bérénice, Neama,  Ibtihal, and Capucine, I'd like to thank y'all for welcoming me into your culture. 

As always, thanks for reading. I promise I'll try to keep it more Korean next time! 

-JCP

The inevitable lazy post

I won't keep you long. I've been under the weather the past few days despite the gorgeous weather we've been having here. Unable to get the creative juices flowing - not to mention lucid thought - I don't have a complete post to share. Instead, I'm just going to share some pictures from around Seoul. Thanks for sticking around; we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming next week.

-JCP

Baseball dreams

The boy captain of Seoul

The lady of the fake lake

The butcher

The yin and yang

I only had to wait half an hour for this photo

Sunday vibes

"Don't press the button all the way down yet"

Because Capu messed up the first one

The monochrome of Seoul

Just a man, his beers, and his birds