Make Traditional Korean Lettuce Wraps (2024)

FAQs

What do Koreans use for lettuce wraps? ›

Thinly-sliced strips of beef are marinated in a salty-sweet-spicy marinade then quickly seared on the grill. Then they're rolled up into ssam (Korean-style wraps) by folding a piece of steak or two, some rice, vegetables and herbs inside a crisp, cold lettuce leaf.

But it's in Korean food where the love for the perilla plant dominates, with a smattering of uses from top to bottom. Deulkkae, the seeds, are toasted, then sprinkled into soups or pressed into oil. The leaves are used fresh as ssam (wraps) at Korean barbecues.

Some will argue that you have to use red leaf lettuce but I think red leaf, green leaf, romaine or Bibb lettuce all works. If you have perilla leaves (pictured above) that you can lay into the lettuce first, that's probably the most authentic Korean way to eat ssam.

Ssam: A Cornerstone of Korean Cuisine

It involves wrapping various fillings, including meats like pork belly (samgyeopsal), in leafy vegetables such as lettuce or perilla leaves. This traditional practice transforms simple ingredients into a versatile and engaging meal.

Use Bibb or butter lettuce: The leaves of Bibb or butter lettuce are the perfect size for these hand-held wraps, and they have a tender texture with bit of crunch.

Ssam (Korean: 쌈; lit. wrapped) refers to dishes in Korean cuisine where some food is wrapped in other food. Often, ssam consists of meat such as pork wrapped in leafy vegetables.

The Perilla Leaf Debate centers on a hypothetical situation where you, your boyfriend, and your close friend are all eating at a restaurant together. There is a popular Korean dish of perilla leaves - or ggaenip - on the table but these are notoriously difficult to pick up using chopsticks.

Shiso and perilla are the spicy Asian cousins of mint. They are different varieties of Perilla frutescens. Other varieties are used in kitchens in China, Vietnam and India. The leaves, which have a serrated edge, are shaped like the spade on a deck of cards.

Perilla leaves are often translated from Korean as “sesame leaves,” which is technically a correct translation although they aren't related to the sesame plant.

Banchan means side dish in Korean, but in reality it's a bunch of small dishes filled to the brim with pickles and the like that scatter the table at lunch or dinner.

What is the best lettuce for Korean ssam? ›

The word Ssam translates to “wrapped” and is usually done with leafy vegetables. Common veggies include red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and perilla leaves.

The Leafy Wrap

Red leaf lettuce is probably the most common in modern ssam but other lettuces, steamed or parboiled cabbage, and kaenip (also known as perilla) leaves are also are popular.

Jjigae (Korean: 찌개, Korean pronunciation: [tɕ͈iɡɛ]) are Korean stews.

Ssambap are Korean lettuce wraps made of boldly-flavored seasoned meat, rice, a zingy sauce called ssamjang, and crisp vegetables. Ssam means "wrap" in Korean, and bap means "rice." Besides the rice and the wrap (lettuce most of the time), many variations exist when it comes to the filling of this tasty pocket.

Lightly wrap the lettuce in a dish towel (or paper towel) to absorb any excess moisture during storage, and place in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Then wrap it back in the plastic it came in or in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Stored properly, heads of lettuce should last from one to three weeks.

Noodles or rice make an excellent side dish for chicken lettuce wraps and they are also a great option if you would like to serve your lettuce wrap filling without lettuce or assembling. Simply enjoy it over a bed of cauliflower rice, brown rice or white rice!