Looking for an exciting new way to host your next dinner party? Try Budae Jjigae, a South Korean hot pot bubbling with spam, hot dogs, kimchi, instant noodles, and processed cheese! This easy-to-assemble dish tastes good any time of the year.
Food History
After the end of WWII, Korea was poor and weak after years of colonization by Japan. It’s strategic location between China and the Pacific Ocean left the superpowers of the world squabbling about its future.
China and the USSR saw an opportunity to make Korea an ally and extend its communist hegemony. The US, of course, did not want this. The result? A brutal civil war that resulted in thousands of casualties and ultimately, a stalemate between Communist-backed forces in the North and US-backed forces in the South. Korea was left permanently divided at the 38th parallel.
After the war ended, Koreans in the South tried to make a new life for themselves. There was a strong US army presence, meant to secure a peaceful transition to democracy. The US army bases also had food — lots of it. And everyone was hungry. The fusion of these two food cultures changed the landscape of modern Korean food as we know it.
Koreans adapted to their mountainous peninsula and long, harsh winters by fermenting everything (kimchi, anyone?) and using seafood as an umami flavor base (think anchovy stock and shrimp paste).
All to say, Koreans were not meat and potatoes people. They were not bread or cheese people either. What would they do with US army rations that included 20 lb. bags of flour, canned meat, and processed dairy products?
Koreans did what they always do — they survived. They took these strange food items and invented clever new ways to feed themselves and their families. Canned meat was diced and stirred into jjigaes. Noodles, made from flour and water, became post-war staples. Even processed cheese was embraced.
That’s how Budae Jjigae became a thing. Delicious and strange, it became one of those crazy tasty inventions made possible by the fusion of two cultures. Budae Jjigae had a little bit of everything.
There’s lots of variations on this dish and that’s its beauty. You can leave in or leave out whatever you like.
The best part? Budae Jjigae is meant to be eaten communally. Celebrate the history of this dish and make it for your friends or family!
You’ll fall in love, not only with the taste but with its ease of assembly. The only cooking that’s required happens table side, while everyone’s chatting away. It’s really the perfect dish to add to your hosting routine.
Assembling
Putting together this dish is simple, once you think of assembling in groups. Add each component one at a time.
Slice and shingle Spam.
Add kimchi. The older and stinkier, the better!
Add hot dogs and/or sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Add tofu. I used soft/silken tofu here, but you can use any kind.
Add (drained) rice cakes, that have been soaking in water.
Add (drained) Dang Myeon or Korean Sweet Potato Noodles that have been soaking in water.
Add spicy sauce.
Add 4 cups/1L chicken stock.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until sausages are cooked through and noodles are clear and pliable.
Add instant noodle. Cook for 2 min.
Lower heat and add cheese slices. (Add the processed cheese slices on top of the instant noodle. This way, the cheese slices have something to hold onto when it melts.) Let cheese melt 30 sec. Time to dig in!
Serving
Koreans typically serve this dish at the table, over a portable gas burner. I like to use our electric hot pot, which plugs directly into the wall with an extension cord. Either way, everyone sits at the table and eats from the communal hot pot in the middle.
If you don’t have access to either option, cook on the stovetop until everything’s hot and bubbling. Then, bring it to the table. There will be lots of oohs and aahs. Dig in and eat
An insanely delicious one-pot wonder that fuses the best of two worlds. Spam, hot dogs, kimchi, instant noodles, and processed cheese slices combine into a simmering pot of spicy Korean delight, best eaten with others!
- 4 ounces Dang Myeon or a large handful
- 1 cup Korean rice cakes
- 2 Tbsp Gochujang Korean chile paste
- 1 Tbsp Gochukaru Korean chile flakes
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Mirin or rice wine
- 3 cloves ground garlic
- 1 can Spam sliced
- 8 links Hot dogs and/or Sausages, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup Kimchi with juice
- Tofu 1 container, cubed
- 1 large handful Crown Daisy or Spinach optional
- 1 bunch Enoki Mushrooms optional
- 1 package Instant Noodle noodles only, do not use soup base
- 4 slices processed cheese
- 4 cups/1 L Chicken Stock more if necessary **see notes below
- 2 green onions sliced
- Portable gas burner or electric hot pot ***see notes for other options
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Pre-soak the Dang Myeonn and rice cakes in separate bowls, with enough cold water to cover. Set aside and let soak for at least 15-20 minutes.
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Combine all spicy sauce ingredients in small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
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On a separate serving platter, arrange the crown daisy and/or spinach (optional), enoki mushrooms (optional), instant noodles, and cheese slices. Bring to the table.
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In a large, shallow pot, begin assembly. Slice and shingle Spam.
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Add kimchi. The older and stinkier, the better.
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Add hot dogs/sausages.*
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Add diced tofu. I used soft/silken tofu, but you can use any kind you like.
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Drain the pre-soaked rice cakes and sprinkle evenly over everything.
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Drain and add the pre-soaked Dang Myeon.
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Add spicy sauce.
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Add 4 cups/1 L chicken stock** to the pot and using a portable gas burner or electric hot pot, bring to a boil. (If you don’t own either option, see notes below).***
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Let everything simmer and bubble away for 10 minutes until the sausage is cooked through and the noodles are clear and pliable. You can use a set of tongs to mix around the spicy sauce into the bubbling stew.
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Add the instant noodle and let it simmer for 2 more minutes.
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Lower heat and add cheese slices. After 30 seconds, the cheese will melt and everything should be ready to eat. Dig in!
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Koreans typically serve this over a portable gas burner or electric hot pot. While it cooks in the middle of the table, guests can help themselves from the communal pot. Keep the contents of the pot at a low simmer.
Add more chicken stock (up to 4 cups/ 1 L) as needed. Add crown daisy/spinach and enoki mushrooms while it bubbles away, if using. You can also serve with additional instant noodle and cheese slices.
Serve with rice. Eat immediately.
*If using sausage, please make sure to check for doneness.
**Feel free to add additional chicken stock if the soup becomes too thick. I usually bring an additional box of chicken stock (4 cups/1L) to the table and add as needed.
***This dish works best with a portable gas burner or electric hot pot. If you don’t have access to either option, follow instructions but cook on the stovetop. When everything’s hot and bubbling, bring it to the table.
If you like Korean food, check out some of my other Korean recipes!
Yum! I love ordering this dish when I go out for Korean food. I can’t wait to try this dish out! Thanks for sharing!