Budae Jjigae Recipe with Ham and Ramyeon (Army Stew)

This budae jjigae serves two in about 30 minutes. Canned ham, sausages, kimchi and tofu boil in a spicy broth with gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and a little gochujang (Korean chili paste), and ramyeon (Korean instant noodles) goes in near the end. The key is to add the noodles last and keep enough broth in the pot.

The name means “military unit stew.” According to the National Folk Museum of Korea and a Gyeonggi Province report, it took shape after the Korean War in areas near US military bases, where ham and sausages were boiled with kimchi and Korean seasonings. The two sources reviewed here do not establish an exact first year or a single creator.

Recipes differ in what they add: baked beans, bacon, ground meat, cheese or rice cakes. This entry keeps a simple set and lists cheese as optional.

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• Wide, shallow pot, 24–26 cm (about 9 1/2–10 1/4 in)
• Small bowl (for the sauce)

1. Cut the ham, sausages, tofu, kimchi, onion and green onion as noted in the ingredients.

   Canned ham (luncheon meat) About 100 g (3.5 oz) · Sausages (frankfurters) About 100 g (3.5 oz) · Firm tofu About 100 g (3.5 oz) · Kimchi About 100 g (3.5 oz) · Onion 1/4 ea (about 50 g / 1.8 oz) · Green onion About 1/2 stalk

2. In a small bowl, mix the gochugaru, garlic, gochujang and soy sauce.

   Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) About 1 1/2 tbsp · Minced garlic 1 tbsp · Gochujang (Korean chili paste) About 1/2 tbsp · Soy sauce About 1/2 tbsp

3. Put the kimchi and onion in the pot. Arrange the ham, sausages and tofu around them. Put the sauce in the center.

4. Add the water or broth. Cover the pot. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes.

   Water or broth About 600 ml (2 1/2 cups)

5. Stir in the sauce. Add the noodles. Boil for about 3 minutes, until the noodles are almost soft.

   Ramyeon noodles (Korean instant noodles) 1 block

6. Add the green onion and the cheese, if used. Boil for about 1 minute, until the noodles are soft. Check that the ham, sausages and tofu are hot throughout.

   Sliced cheese 1 slice (optional)

7. Turn off the heat. Serve hot with rice.

• The broth boils throughout, and the ham, sausages and tofu are hot to the center
• The noodles are soft, with no hard core
• The stew still has enough broth to cover the bottom of the pot

Uijeongbu style

Sources describe a leaning toward kimchi in Uijeongbu, and the restaurant profiled there makes its broth with anchovies.

Songtan style

Some Songtan versions add chili beans.

Dongducheon style

This style tends to mix many kinds of processed meat.

Kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew)

Some kimchi jjigae specimens contain Spam, so ham alone cannot distinguish them from this budae jjigae with ham, sausages and ramyeon noodles.

• My Korean Kitchen — Budae jjigae
• Korean Bapsang — Budae jjigae
• Beyond Kimchee — Korean army stew
• Kimchimari — Budae jjigae
• Doobydobap — Budaejjigae
• Vegemil — Budae jjigae (Korean)
• Wtable — Budae jjigae (Korean)
• National Folk Museum of Korea — Budae jjigae (Korean)
• Gyeonggi Province newsletter — Uijeongbu budae jjigae (Korean)
• USDA — Sausages and food safety
• USDA — Shelf-stable food safety
• Nongshim USA — Shin Ramyun allergen information
• Sempio — Gochujang ingredients
• USDA — Leftovers and food safety
• FoodSafety.gov — Cold food storage chart