Cooking for One: Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)

Have you heard the history behind budae jjigae? This popular Korean stew is a common favorite in Korean bars and pubs because it contains everything many Koreans enjoy—spam, spice, instant noodles, and rice cakes. The name comes from “budae,” meaning military base, and “jjigae,” meaning stew, so it is often called army stew. It originated in the city of Uijeongbu, near an American army base after the Korean War, during a time of post-war hardship. In that period of poverty, people created a stew using whatever ingredients they could obtain from the military base, such as canned meats and sausages. They adapted the dish by adding gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) and other seasonings not only to enhance the flavor but also to stretch the portions so more could share the meal. You might say it is a fusion dish born from different cultures meeting, yet it also emerged from a challenging chapter in Korea’s past.