Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Base Stew) is a wonderfully hearty kimchi stew that has become really popular since its creation after the Korean war. Even if you don't like spam, this is a MUST-TRY EASY dish.
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Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew) Boiling In Pot - Close Up[/caption]
The History of Budae Jjigae
After the Korean war, the US military stayed behind and setup bases in several locations throughout Korea. Usually near these bases, one could buy American products -especially canned foods like, yes, the infamous SPAM!!
So what to do with SPAM? Well..what else? Add Kimchi!! Kimchi makes everything taste better!! And so this Kimchi Army Stew (aka 부대찌게 - pronounced Boo-Dae Jjigae) was born.
The word Budae means Army Base in Korean and by now you know Jjigae means stew. That's why it is translated as Korean Army Stew or Korean Army Base Stew. This dish is still very popular today and most Koreans say the area for the best Budae Jjigae is actually 의정부 (Uijeongbu) -the place of origin.
One memory I have about SPAM and other American goodies is that even when I was a kid (in the late 60's early 70's, many years after the war) this one lady (ajoomas) came to our house and secretly sold various foods that were basically smuggled out of the army bases.
I remember getting excited every time this 양키 아줌마 (Yankee Ajooma - haha.. get it? ) would visit, to see what yummy goodies came out of her bag! Because, at that time, things like peanut butter, grape jelly, SPAM, American Kraft Cheese singles, corn beef, baked beans and chocolates were not available anywhere else but only through her.
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