Kimbap — rouleaux de riz et algue coréens
Korea's beloved picnic and lunchbox roll: seasoned rice and a colourful row of fillings — egg, vegetables, pickled radish, often beef or ham — rolled tight in a sheet of gim (seaweed), brushed with sesame oil and cut into rounds. Unlike sushi, the rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt (not vinegar), making it savoury, portable and endlessly customisable.
Cook short-grain rice and, while warm, season it with sesame oil and salt (not vinegar). Prepare a row of fillings: strips of fried egg, sautéed carrot and spinach, yellow pickled radish (danmuji), and a protein like bulgogi beef or ham. Lay a sheet of gim on a bamboo mat, spread rice over most of it, line up the fillings, and roll up tightly. Brush with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and slice into rounds with a sharp, oiled knife.
- Season the rice with sesame oil and salt — kimbap rice is savoury, not vinegared like sushi.
- Prep and season each filling separately, then build a tidy row for clean, colourful slices.
- Roll tightly with a bamboo mat, and oil the knife so it cuts clean rounds without tearing.
Equipment
- Bamboo rolling mat (gimbal)
- Sharp knife
- Frying pan
Ingrédients
Rice & wrappers
- 500 g cooked short-grain rice
- 15 ml sesame oil, plus more to brush
- 1 tsp salt; toasted sesame seeds
- 4 sheets gim (seaweed) for kimbap
Fillings
- 2 eggs, made into a thin omelette and sliced
- 1 carrot, julienned and sautéed
- 100 g spinach, blanched and seasoned
- Yellow pickled radish (danmuji), in strips
- 150 g bulgogi beef or ham, or imitation crab
Préparation
- ÉTAPE01
While the cooked rice is still warm, mix through the sesame oil and salt until glossy and seasoned. Let it cool to just-warm.
- ÉTAPE02
Fry a thin egg omelette and slice into strips. Sauté the julienned carrot; blanch and season the spinach; ready the pickled radish and your protein. Keep each filling in its own pile.
- ÉTAPE03
Lay a sheet of gim shiny-side down on the bamboo mat. Spread an even layer of rice over about two-thirds, leaving the far edge bare. Line up the fillings in a neat row across the rice.
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Using the mat, roll the kimbap up tightly away from you, tucking the fillings in, and seal the bare edge (a few grains of rice help it stick). Press to firm up.
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Brush the roll with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. With a sharp, lightly oiled knife, slice into 2 cm rounds, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve.
Make ahead
Prep all the fillings ahead and season the rice, then roll close to serving. Kimbap is made to be portable, so rolling in the morning for a midday picnic or lunchbox is ideal — just keep it at cool room temperature, not the fridge.
Storage
Best eaten the day it's made, at room temperature — don't refrigerate, as the cold hardens the rice. Keep cool and eat within several hours (it's a picnic/lunchbox food). Leftover slices can be pan-fried in egg the next day (gimbap-jeon).
Variations
Chamchi (tuna) kimbap
Fill with mayo-dressed tuna — hugely popular.
Vegetarian
Skip the meat and load up on egg, vegetables, pickled radish and seasoned tofu or burdock.
Nude / mayak
Roll rice on the outside, or make tiny 'mayak' (addictive) kimbap served with a mustard-soy dip.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Questions fréquentes
Is kimbap the same as sushi?
No — though both are seaweed rice rolls, the rice is the key difference. Kimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt, giving it a savoury, nutty flavour, while sushi rice is seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt. Kimbap fillings are usually fully cooked or pickled, and it's eaten as a portable meal rather than with raw fish.
How do I stop kimbap falling apart when I slice it?
Roll it tightly with the bamboo mat and press to firm it up, seal the bare seaweed edge with a few grains of rice, and use a sharp knife lightly coated in sesame oil, wiping it clean between cuts. A clean, oiled blade and a snug roll give neat rounds.
Can I make kimbap ahead?
Yes — it's designed to be portable for picnics and lunchboxes. Prep the fillings and season the rice ahead, then roll a few hours before eating. Keep it at cool room temperature, not the fridge, since refrigeration hardens the rice and dulls it.
What fillings go in kimbap?
A colourful row is traditional: strips of fried egg, sautéed carrot, seasoned spinach, yellow pickled radish (danmuji), and a protein like bulgogi beef, ham, tuna or imitation crab. It's endlessly customisable — the pickled radish and sesame-seasoned rice are the constants.
Why won't my rice stick / why is it too dry?
Use short-grain (sticky) rice and season and roll it while still warm — cold rice loses its tack and crumbles. The sesame oil keeps it glossy and pliable. If it's drying out, you may have used too little rice seasoning or let it cool too much before rolling.
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