Dishes
Rice Dishes 밥·덮밥
22 Korean rice dishes explained — what's in each one, how spicy it is, and how to order it.
Rice dishes are the everyday lunch in Korea. A deopbap (덮밥) is a topping served over rice in one bowl, bibimbap (비빔밥) is rice with vegetables that you mix yourself with chili paste, and bokkeumbap (볶음밥) is fried rice. Gimbap and rice balls are the grab-and-go versions, sold at snack bars (분식집) and convenience stores.
Good to know
In restaurants most rice dishes come with a small bowl of soup and a few side dishes. Bibimbap is only as spicy as the gochujang you add — ask for it on the side (고추장 따로 주세요, gochujang ttaro juseyo) if you are not sure. A hot stone pot version (dolsot) keeps sizzling, so leave it a minute before mixing and the rice at the bottom turns crisp.
Questions about rice dishes
What is the difference between bibimbap and dolsot bibimbap?
Dolsot bibimbap is served in a sizzling hot stone bowl, so the rice at the bottom turns golden and crispy. Regular bibimbap comes in an ordinary bowl and is eaten warm.
What is deopbap?
Deopbap (덮밥) means "covered rice": a stir-fried or grilled topping — spicy pork, squid, bulgogi or raw fish — served over rice in one bowl. It is a quick one-person lunch.
Which rice dishes are not spicy?
Not spicy: Gimbap, Tuna Gimbap, Shrimp Fried Rice, Omurice, Donkatsu, Bulgogi Rice Bowl, Korean Curry Rice, Rice Ball, Fried Tofu Rice Pockets, Lettuce Wrap Rice Meal, Thistle Rice, Stone Pot Rice with Nuts and Grains, Fish Roe Rice Bowl.