Folded Kimbap (or Gimbap)

The latest social media food trend in Korea! Folded kimbap (or gimbap)! So easy, quick, versatile, and yummy!

Today, I’m bringing you the latest social media food trend in Korea! Folded kimbap (or gimbap)! Have you ever had trouble rolling kimbap? Now, you can fold your kimbap. So easy, quick, versatile, and yummy!

A few days ago, I recorded a short video of making this kimbap and shared it on my Instagram Reel. Everyone loves the idea!

You may have heard of TikTok tortilla wrap trend which started in January 2021. The idea is similar, although this is a totally different type of food. Some even calls it a Korean version of the tortilla hack.

Cut a slit to the middle of gim (laver) and fill each quarter with your favorite toppings/fillings. Then, simply fold each quarter onto the next one until you have a folded kimbap. Hold the whole thing with your hand(s) and eat it like a sandwich. No need to cut it!

Your lunch cannot be easier as long as you have rice and gim. I’m sure you have a few things in your fridge and/or pantry for fillings/toppings. It’s becoming a favorite “stay home” lunch for me.

The rice

You can make this folded kimbap with any rice, seasoned or unseasoned. To make it taste more like traditional kimbap, I season short grain rice with salt and sesame oil. I sometimes add sesame seeds, but you don’t need to.

If using leftover rice from the fridge, soften it up by heating it in the microwave. If you are cooking fresh rice, make it slightly drier than normal by using a bit less water.

Gim (seaweed sheet)

You can find seaweed sheets for kimbap at Korean/Asian markets. Some are labeled as sushi nori. They are slightly thick to be able to hold the rice and fillings and lightly roasted.

Filling ideas

Proteins

Use any cooked or processed meat from your fridge or pantry. Grilled, roasted, stir-fried or boiled meat leftovers are great filling ideas. Spam, ham, canned tuna, fried egg, fried tofu, and cheese are all great options as well. In the photo below, you’ll see Spam, bulgogi, canned tuna, fried tofu, eomuk (fish cake) and grilled samgyupsal (pork belly). It really doesn’t take much for each kimbap.

Vegetables

There’s really no limit to what you can use! Use any green leafy vegetables, raw or cooked, such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and perilla leaves (kkaennip, 깻잎) in combinations with other vegetables such as cucumber, carrot, avocado, etc. Pickled cucumber or radish is great as well as kimchi. Thinly slice, shave (with a peeler), or julienne the veggies as needed.

Sauce

Try gochujang, ssamjang, sriracha, ketchup, mayonnaise, or any type of hot sauce to your taste.

Sample combinations of ingredients

The photo collage below simply shows some ideas for different combinations of ingredients, considering the balance between proteins and veggies, texture, and flavors. There’s something for everyone, including vegan! You can certainly mix and match your ingredients as your heart desires. Be creative and have fun with it!

The recipe below is simply to show an example of folded kimbap.

Tips for making folded kimbap

1. Squeeze out the liquid from any wet ingredients.
2. Pat dry vegetables with a paper/kitchen towel.
3. Don’t overload it! It’ll be hard to fold and eat. Leave some space between the quarters for folding.
4. You can double up the ingredients on each quarter as long as they are not too bulky.
5. Place small pieces or easy to fall out ingredients next to the rice one. The sticky rice will help hold them together.

Watch how to make it

For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.