6 Korean boiled meat and sausage dishes explained — what's in each one, how spicy it is, and how to order it.
Boiled and pressed meats are eaten sliced, with wraps and dips rather than sauce poured over. Bossam is boiled pork belly wrapped in cabbage with spicy radish; jokbal is soy-braised pig's trotters; sundae is Korean blood sausage, sold at markets and snack bars.
These dishes are made for sharing and are favourite delivery and drinking foods, often sold as bossam-and-jokbal combos. The usual dips are salted shrimp (saeujeot), ssamjang or salt mixed with pepper. Sundae is usually dipped in salt in Seoul, while in some regions it comes with ssamjang or vinegar chili sauce.
From our dish notes. Recipes vary, so ask if an ingredient matters to you.
Almost all. Bossam, jokbal, sundae and pork head meat are pork; suyuk and pyeonyuk are usually pork but can be beef.
Regular jokbal is braised in soy and spices and is not spicy. It is eaten wrapped in lettuce with garlic and salted shrimp.
Not spicy: Jokbal, Boiled Sliced Meat, Sundae, Pressed Boiled Meat, Pork Head Meat.