Words by the Chef Ciaran Hickey

One of the earliest food memories in my career as a chef was picking up a prawn from the salad area, putting it in a lettuce leaf with a spoonful of cocktail sauce and eating it at one go. Years later, you wouldn’t believe how glad I was to discover that Koreans enjoy this as much as I do!

Bossam is a great stop on your journey through the wonderful Korean cuisine.

In the Korean kitchen, Bossam (보쌈) is steamed pork wrapped with a leaf of any sort. The pork is slow-cooked in stock flavored with soy, sesame and ginger among other ingredients. Its being served warm and sliced on a platter with lettuce. Various condiments can then be added, and that’s where the fun begins.

This down-home Korean dish rocketed to the top of the culinary world a while ago, thanks to one of New York’s most celebrated chefs, David Chang, who has developed recipes based on his Korean heritage. He named one of his restaurants Ssam Bar, where he serves his own original take on Bossam, and it captured the imagination of New Yorkers. He adds a raw shucked oyster to his dish, a distinctly Korean move.

First of all, it’s essential to add a dab of the special sauce Ssamjang (쌈장), a mixture of soybean paste, red pepper paste, chopped garlic and sesame oil. Raw onions, green Korean peppers, kimchi, and garlic can also be included in the wrap depending on your taste. Traditionally, a dish of Saeujeot (새우젓, pickled shrimp) is provided to dip everything in.

I have discovered that like a lot of other Korean dishes, there are a few Bossam variants out there. Pickled cabbage leaves can be used to replace the lettuce used for wrapping, which gives it a completely different flavor. The types of lettuce that are used can also vary.

At home, I use butter lettuce hearts, but I have mostly seen red oak lettuce used in restaurants in Korea. It’s even possible to use beef instead of pork belly for the meat portion of the dish, though of course pork is much more common.

Nolbu Bossam 놀부보쌈
“Nolbu” refers to a greedy, scheming older brother in a Korean folk story who takes the whole inheritance for himself.

True to form, the Nolbu Bossam portions are bigger and cost more, from around ₩27,000 for two people. If you want to try it yourself, you can visit Nolbu Bossam at 7 Yeongdong-daero 85-gil, Gangnam District, Seoul.

And If you’re the type who likes to bring home the bacon, you can have your Bossam delivered to your door with a call to 02-557-3848 or check out the different delivery options.

Won Halmoni Bossam 원할머니 보쌈
If you’ve been in Korea for a while, you have probably seen the wrinkled grandma on this franchise’s distinctive orange sign.

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We’re not sure how much a grandma had to do with the original grandmother’s Bossam, but it sure tastes good. Pig out on pork starting at ₩23,000 for 350 grams. For fun, you can also try Jokbal (족발), or pig’s feet, a dish often found alongside Bossam.

The place is located at 254 Hangang-daero, Yongsan District, Seoul.

Samhaejip삼해집

Maybe this is where David Chang got his oyster idea. In downtown Seoul, your boiled pork comes with oysters on the side. The small Bossam portion (₩20,000) might not be enough for two if it weren’t for the Gamjatang (a Korean potato/pork spine soup) served after the main meal (with free refills!).

Address: 16-15 Supyo-ro 20-gil, Jongno District, Seoul