The Korean table has been made up of bap and side dishes for thousands of years. On Arirang TV's "Tales of Hansik," we introduce thirteen stories of hansik, which has become a symbol of healthful, slow food.
On the "bap" episode, we talk about the significance the staple food in Korea. Learn about the meaning of bap eaten on a baby's first birthday, the basic Korean table set with bap, soup, and kimchi, and the types of bap that are commonly enjoyed in Korea today.
Excavations of carbonized rice grains and pots called siru suggest that Koreans have prepared and eaten bap since the fourth century B.C. With the advent of cauldrons in A.D. 20, bap was boiled, steamed, and burned to become the bap we know today.
We explore the process of creating traditional Korean pots, as well as the meticulous process of cooking rice in these pots, to see how bap has kept its place at the center of Korean food culture for so many years.
- By analyzing white bap and mixed-grain bap, their nutritional content, and the various kinds of bap that have appeared over the years, we find out how Koreans maintain their energy and health. We also learn why Koreans are eating less bap than before, and why they prefer mixed-grain bap to white rice bap.
- Bap is present in every stage of a Korean person's life, from birth to death, and even after death. It is also a medium for strengthening the communal culture. By exploring these traditions, we determine the significance of bap in Korean culture.