The perilla spam kimbap makes a fun snack with garlicky and sweet spam and distinctive grassy and anise note of perilla in contrast to the seasoned rice.
I recently got the gochujang spam from Costco and have been trying it with different recipes. It tastes great with kimchi fried rice and kimbap. Kimbap is a popular Korean dish that translates to seaweed (kim) and rice (bap) rolls. For the kimbap, I made the perilla and spam kimbap recipe from one of my all time cookbooks, Eric Kim’s Korean American Food That Tastes Like Home. The spam kimbap was so flavorful with garlicky and sweet spam and distinctive grassy and anise note of perilla in contrast to the seasoned rice.
Ingredient Notes
- Rice: use short grain white rice which is more sticky than long grain rice.
- Seaweed: for the kimbap, use unsalted, unroasted gim that’s labeled as “dried laver” on Korean grocery stores like Hmart or Zion.
- Spam: I used gochujang spam for a bit of heat. Substitute with regular spam if you prefer a non-spicy filling.
- Perilla: perilla leaves (kkaennip) are common in Korean cuisine. They belong to the mint family and have a distinctive grassy flavor with a subtle note of anise.
How to Make Kimbap
- Cook the rice and season it with sesame oil and salt.
- Cook the spam until caramelized and season it with garlic powder and maple syrup.
- Assemble the kimbap by laying a sheet of seaweed on a cutting board, with the shorter side closest to you. Spread rice evenly over the surface. About one third up from the bottom, lay 6 perilla leaves, 2 stacks of 3, over the rice, then top with two spam pieces. Starting from the bottom, roll seaweed over the fillings and forward similar to how you would roll cinnamon rolls or spring rolls. Use gentle but firm pressure to keep the ingredients together and roll tight.
- Cut the perilla spam kimbap and cut into ¾ inch thick pieces.
Make Ahead and Storage
The perilla spam kimbap is best eaten the same day. If you want to serve them warm, microwave for 30 seconds.
For more Korean food inspiration:
Perilla Spam Kimbap
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 6 ounces gochujang spam, sliced lengthwise into eight 3 ½ x ¾ x ¾ inch sticks
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 24 fresh perilla leaves
- kimchi for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add rice, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and salt. Use a spatula and stir the mixture together until the rice grains start to glisten and separate. Set aside.
- Grease a plate with sesame oil. Whisk together maple syrup and garlic powder.
- In a large, nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, add remaining sesame oil and the spam. Pan fry until the spam pieces are caramelized at the edges. Add the maple syrup garlic mixture and cook until the syrup reduces and glazes the outsides of the spam, about 1 minute. Transfer the spam to the greased plate.
- When ready to assemble, lay a sheet of kimbap gim, shiny-side up, on a cutting board, in front of you with the shortest side closest to you. Spread ¾ cup of seasoned rice as evenly as you can across the entire surface of the gim.
- About one-third up from the bottom, lay 6 perilla leaves (two stacks of 3) over the rice and top with 2 pieces of maple-candied spam horizontally over the perilla.
- Starting from the bottom, tightly roll the kimbap like a cinnamon roll or spring roll. Use gentle but firm pressure to keep the ingredients together and roll tight. Once rolled, use both hands to gently squeeze the roll even tighter, compacting the rice, gim, spam, and perilla into each other, fusing as one. Repeat with remaining kimbap.
- Use a very sharp knife, cut ¾-inch thick pieces. Serve the perilla spam kimbap room temperature or slightly warm with kimchi if desired.
Bri
Interesting flavor combination. I used regular spam and it was delicious.