Kongnamul-bulgogi

Kongnamul-bulgogi restaurants thrived in Jeonju during the 1980s.[2] The dish enjoyed a resurgence, with the success of the restaurant franchise "Kongbul" opened in 2008.[3]

Pork, bean sprouts, onions, red peppers, scallions, and perilla leaves are needed as the main ingredients. Additionally, in order to make sauce, gochujang (고추장, red pepper paste), Korean plum extract from Prunus mume (매실액), oyster sauce, and crushed garlic (다진마늘) are commonly used. A mixture of the sauce, bean sprouts, and cooked pork completes the dish.[4]

The original ‘’Kongbul’’ is just a combination of the sauce, bean sprouts, and pork. But there are several variations that provide people options to choose, attracting a wider range of crowds. For example, squids or chicken can be added, and the stimulating spicy sauce can be replaced by a sweet one. Combining different menus is also possible, letting people create their own cuisine. Additionally, rice cakes, boiled eggs, noodles, dumplings, ham, and cheese are choices for any type of ‘’Kongbul’’.[5]

The main ingredients, bean sprouts and pork, are very healthy because they produce vitamin C and protein.[6] Moreover, other vegetables and optional ingredients flourish the nutrition of ‘’Kongbul’’. For instance, onions help the work of vitamin C in the body and regulating blood sugar with the content of chromium.[7]

These images show how Kongbul actually looks like before/after it is cooked. There might be various pictures since customers can add any other ingredients, such as cheese, sausages, and noodles, that they want to add.

Cooked Kongbul

• Bulgogi
• Korean cuisine
• Kimchi
• Gochujang

[1] [2]