Traditional Korean Lunch Box - Old School Recipe! – FutureDish (2024)

FAQs

What is a typical Korean lunchbox? ›

Dosirak Korean Lunch Box. A traditional lunch simply made of rice, egg coated cooked spam, fried egg, sautéed kimchi and onion with roasted seaweed.

The lunch boxes, also called dosirak or dosirak-tong (dosirak case), are typically plastic or thermo-steel containers with or without compartments or tiers. Dosirak is often home-made, but is also sold in train stations and convenience stores. A variety of Dosirak (packed meal) Korean name (South Korea) Hangul.

Top the rice with the reserved sauce from the fish cakes, some seasoned seaweed, and a fried egg. Shake the dosirak vigorously to make bibimbap or you can just enjoy as is.

Dosirak Lunch Boxes are a popular Korean lunch box packed with a homemade meal that can also be purchased from Dosirak stores. Like Japanese bento lunch boxes, they are served with rice and an assortment of traditional side dishes.

A typical Korean meal table is a full table setting featuring rice, soup, side dishes, and stew. At a Korean restaurant, don't be surprised at all the variety of small side dishes that accompany the main dish.

In general, Korean school lunches consist of rice, soup, kimchi, protein-focused side dishes that are based on meat, fish or tofu, vegetables or fruit. These foods are minimally processed and normally low fat, as other Korean dishes.

Although bento cakes were initially found and popularized in the bakeries of South Korea, the term "bento" is a Japanese word which translates to "convenience." The concept originated in Japan in the 12th century to pack lunch boxes with fresh fish, meat or veggies and rice or noodles.

A bento (弁当, bentō) is the Japanese iteration of a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch. Outside Japan, it is common in other East and Southeast Asian culinary styles, especially within Chinese, Korean, Singaporean, Taiwanese cuisines and more, as rice is a common staple food in the region.

Side dishes: Another difference is the number and variety of side dishes. Japanese bento boxes often have fewer side dishes, and they may be smaller in portion size. Korean lunch boxes typically have more side dishes, such as kimchi, pickled vegetables, and tofu, and they may be served in larger portions.

Koreans also tend to use the spoon instead of chopsticks for eating rice. Because of that, it's considered rude to lift the rice bowl when eating from it, as is common in, for example, Japan, where lifting your rice bowl while using chopsticks to pick up the rice is incredibly common.

What is a black box in Korea? ›

Almost every vehicle in Korea has a “dash cam” (블랙박스, beullaeng bakseu, literally “black box”) installed at the front of the car and another facing out the rear of the car.

Introduction to the American Bento Box

The beauty of bento lies in its versatility and adaptability to various cuisines, making it an ideal format for American dishes.

Fry egg-coated spam for a minute or two on each side until golden. Remove the spam and set aside, then fry remaining eggs sunny-side up. To plate up, place a scoop of rice in each bowl and add a slice of spam, some spinach, kimchi, and top with a fried egg. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

In Korea, each school lunch will typically have a soup, rice, and some side dishes. Korean food is overall healthier, with each meal having fermented kimchi, vegetables, and meat.

A bento box is a Japanese single-portion boxed meal consisting of several different food types. Bento boxes have multiple compartments, allowing the preparer to separate the various foods into neat and aesthetically-pleasing portions.

A dosirak can be likened to Japan's bento or Taiwan's bien dang. It includes delicious Korean side dishes (banchan) and of course, rice.