Kimbap

One of my favorite quick Korean snacks is kimbap. This tasty morsel is rice (bap) rolled in dried seaweed (kim). Here is a quick tutorial in making this delicacy. Pictures and text are blatantly borrowed from here.

1. Lay out a large sheet of seaweed, shiny side down. Put a handful of rice in the center of the seaweed sheet and spread evenly over the seaweed.
2. Leave a 3 cm margin at the top of the sheet to seal the roll later.3. Spread a streak of mayonnaise and wasabi (or other condiment according to taste) across the middle, then add layers of seafood, omlette, and vegetables (carrot, sesame leaves, etc.) down the center of the rice. You can use many different types of appropriate fillings.4. To roll, fold the seaweed paper so the filling is enclosed in the center of the paper. Roll carefully and slowly, keeping some pressure evenly on the paper.5. Press the mat around the roll for about thirty seconds to shape and compress it, then moisten the margin of seaweed with a cooking brush dipped in water or oil, and seal the roll as tightly as possible.6. Slice the roll into 2cm slices, using a large, wet, sharp knife. Do not saw, but cut firmly, straight down, thus keeping the original round shape of the gimbap.
This snack is extremely common and is eaten anywhere, anytime by anyone. I should not have been surprised to discover this vending machine kimbap. It still struck me as odd.