Bulgogi

Meat dishes

• Beef (쇠고기)Usually in itOnly this one→

  The standard cut is thinly sliced sirloin or ribeye. When a menu just says bulgogi, beef is what it usually means.

• Soybean (대두)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Soy sauce is the base of the marinade, and the meat is left to soak in it before cooking, so it runs right through the slices.

• Sesame (참깨)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Sesame oil goes into the marinade itself, and toasted sesame seeds are often scattered over the cooked meat as well.

• Garlic (마늘)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Crushed garlic is one of the core marinade ingredients, so it is cooked into the meat rather than served on the side.

• Onion (양파)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Pureed onion is often blended into the marinade along with pear to tenderise the meat, so it can be in the sauce even when no onion slices are visible.

• Pork (돼지고기)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Pork bulgogi, often made with pork belly, is common too and may be listed simply as bulgogi. Ask which meat it is.

• Wheat (밀)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Traditional Korean soy sauce is brewed from soybeans and brine alone, but other soy sauces are often brewed with roasted wheat — which one a kitchen uses depends on the bottle.

• Squid (오징어)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Osam bulgogi stir-fries squid with pork in a chili paste sauce.

• Octopus (문어 · 낙지 · 주꾸미)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Some menus add long-arm octopus to beef bulgogi, as in bulnak jeongol, or stir-fry webfoot octopus with pork.

• Mushrooms (버섯)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Mushrooms are often stir-fried or simmered with the meat, and they are almost always in the brothy versions such as ttukbaegi bulgogi and Seoul-style bulgogi.

• Asian pear (배)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Grated pear or pear juice is commonly added to the marinade to tenderize the meat, and it dissolves into the sauce where you cannot see it.

• Apple (사과)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Some recipes also add grated apple to the marinade.

• Kiwi (키위)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Some recipes add grated kiwi to the marinade to tenderize the meat.

Usually in it

Most kitchens put this in. Assume it is there unless the staff tell you otherwise.

Sometimes in it

It depends on the recipe and the brand of sauce, so it is worth asking.

Rarely in it

The usual recipe does not call for it, but some kitchens still use it.

Checked 13 of the 33 ingredients this site covers. An ingredient that is not listed here has simply not been checked yet — that is not the same as it not being in the dish.

⚠This page describes how the dish is usually made in Korea. Every kitchen works differently, so always show your card and ask the staff before you order.