#budae

Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew) is a bold, spicy hot pot packed with Spam, sausage, kimchi, and ramen noodles. This comforting one-pot meal blends Korean flavors with American influence — hearty, savory, and perfect for sharing. Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae) was first created near Uijeongbu, a northern city just outside Seoul where a U.S. military base was located. After the Korean War, local…

Budae-jjigae (Army Base Stew)

For stock:

2 Dried shiitake mushrooms

8 Dried anchovies (head and guts removed)

1 piece dried kelp

8c water

For seasoning paste:

Minced garlic

1 tbs hot pepper paste

2 tbs hot pepper flakes

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 tbs water

For stew:

1/2 lb pork belly or pork shoulder, cut in pieces

Sweet potato starch noodles

Cabbage, chopped

Onion, sliced

Green onions, chopped

1/2 c kimchi, chopped

4 oz polish sausage, sliced

4 oz spam, sliced

1/2 package instant ramen

1 c radish sprouts, spinach, watercress, or arugula

1/2 c tofu

Rice cakes

Combine stock ingredients in pot and cook for 25 minutes over medium high heat.

Add pork and cook another 10 minutes. Remove anchovies and kelp. Slice mushrooms.

Combine seasoning paste ingredients.

In a shallow pot, arrange cabbage, onion, green onion, pork mushrooms on bottom. Then add kimchi and seasoning paste. Then add spam, sausage, rice cake, tofu. Then add ramen and sweet potato noodles. Finally add radish sprouts and stock.

Korean Army Stew (Budaejjigae 부대찌개)

What do you get when you throw bacon, sausage, hamburger meat, Spam, ramen, and kimchi in a pot? The answer: Korean army soup, or “budaejjigae.” (pronounced: “boo-day-jjee-gay”)

The first time I saw budaejjigae was on my college campus at a popular Korean restaurant. I thought it was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen, but one bite and I was hooked for life.

It doesn’t make sense, it…