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The Korean rice roll explained - and where to try it in San Jose.
The rice is the giveaway. Kimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt, while sushi rice is seasoned with vinegar. Kimbap fillings are usually cooked or cured rather than raw, and the roll is cut thicker.
Cooked rice seasoned with sesame oil and salt, a sheet of seaweed, and a line of fillings running down the middle. The roll is pressed, then cut into rounds before serving.
Sushi rice is seasoned with vinegar and often pairs with raw fish. Kimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt, and the fillings are usually cooked or cured. The rolls are also cut thicker.
It travels well and is eaten by hand, warm or at room temperature, which is why it turns up at picnics and on long journeys as often as at a table.
Spam and egg $7.95, veggie $9.95, veggie and egg $10.95, spam with egg and veggie $10.95, spicy fishcake $13.95, spicy tuna $13.95, bulgogi beef $14.95, spicy pork $14.95, shrimp tempura $15.95 and salmon $15.95.
FAQ · Explore
Kimbap (gimbap) is a Korean dish of steamed rice and fillings rolled in sheets of seaweed, then sliced into rounds. Though it looks like sushi, kimbap uses sesame-seasoned rice (not vinegared) and cooked or seasoned fillings. At Modak in West San Jose we roll kimbap fresh - from bulgogi beef and spicy tuna to veggie and spam-and-egg.
