Gimmari (김말이)

During the ten-day quarantine, food was delivered to our hotel door every day. We had three square meals a day. With just a dorm fridge and no way to reheat food, it felt like an onslaught of calories we had to put away precisely at the time it was delivered, whether hungry or not. With our zero-waste upbringing, we felt like ducks being force fed. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but one dish that brought joy to us was the rare gimmari on the side.

There’s nothing you can dislike about gimmari. It’s got chewy sweet potato starch noodles. The seaweed adds an incredible umami from the ocean. And it’s deep-fried. It’s impossible not to fall in love with this dish.

Initially, I thought this sausage shaped roll was stuffed with glutinous rice (which I think would be an interesting variation). Instead, you’ll find al dente noodles that are shiny and transparent, like a smooth jade gem. Most Asian noodles I’m familiar with are made of wheat, rice, or green bean starch, but in Korea they love their sweet potatoes, also known as kogoma (고구마). Mixed with the noodles are pieces of carrot, chives, and well-balanced seasoning. It’s then wrapped in roasted seaweed, known as gim (김).

You could stop there and you would have a delicious bite-sized snack, but they shoot for excellence here in Korea. Batter it and deep-fry. You can’t go wrong with that move. The end product is a crispy, crunchy exterior that contrasts well with the soft interior.

Unfortunately, all the gimmari we’ve eaten had been par-cooked and frozen, so we’ve only been able to pan-fry and reheat them. I can only imagine what freshly fried gimmari would taste like. I’d like to see it deep-fried in a light and airy beer batter. Doesn’t that sound good? It’s making me drool.