Image Credit to: maangchi
This warm bowl of rice warms your heart and home every time. This dish is best suited for those that want a no-fuss meal and everything in a single bowl. Suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this versatile Korean dish is perfect for those that need a quick and easy meal.
The perfect mix between rice and black bean sauce is mouth-watering, leaving you craving for more!
What is Jajang Rice
Jajang rice or commonly known as jajangbap in Korea is actually a warm bowl of rice with soy bean sauce. The soy bean sauce is well-mixed with rice. The locals usually have jajang rice in a box, so it is easy for them to shake the box to perfect mix the black bean sauce with the rice.
The savoury taste of the soy sauce is a perfect pair for the warm rice. People usually have jajang rice as a main dish in course. This dish is one of the famous dishes Korea making it popular among the Korean.
History of Jajang Rice
Jajang rice or jajang bap is actually introduced by an immigrant from China. The dish was adapted from the noodle dish, jajangmyeon or black bean noodles. Jajangmyeon was introduced in 1905, in a Chinese restaurant called Gonghwachun. The introduction of jajangmyeon has made the black bean sauce enormously famous among Koreans.
Jajang actually originated from a Chinese word; zhajiang. Zhajiang means fried sauce, while bap means a bowl of rice. In South Korea, right after the Korean war, jajangbap was easily available from the market at low prices. Thus, this Chinese-Korean dish became well-loved by the locals due to its unique and tasty taste.
However, there are several issues regarding its name; ‘jajang’. The word jajang was not accepted as an idiomatic transliteration by the National Institute of Korean Language. Jajang was not considered as the standard spelling due to a reinforced law for foreign words. This issue has been a hot debate topic as the Chinese characters for jajang is pronounced as jakjang, but the locals stood with their stance, naming the black bean sauce as jajang.
The locals believe that jajang is not a Korean word of Chinese origin, but a transliteration of the Chinese pronunciation. Finally, in 2011, the word jajang was accepted alongside with jjajang in the National Language Deliberation Council. Starting from August 31, jajang rice or jajang bap was recognised by the National Institute of Korean Language.
Health Benefits of Jajang Rice
Jajang rice has a few benefits to our health. Firstly, this dish is gluten-free. Jajang rice is a good source of fibre which makes it good for your digestive system and reduces your cholesterol levels.
This dish is rich in protein and iron which helps to maintain and increase muscle mass good. Most importantly, the folic acid that comes from the warm bowl of rice can help your body to produce DNA and supports cell division. This helps our body to recover faster.
Where to get Jajang Rice in Malaysia
Jajang rice can be found in Gangnam 88. This restaurant serves a variety of delicious jajang rice. This dish can also be ordered from Seoul Food Express restaurant. Both of these restaurants serve the best jajang rice in town and you order it to be delivered to your home.
Try more Korean cuisine on foodpanda!