Samgyeopsal

Meat dishes

• Pork (돼지고기)Usually in itOnly this one→

  The name itself means three-layered pork belly — the dish is pork by definition, and a five-layer version keeps the skin on.

• Soybean (대두)Usually in itOnly this one→

  The meat itself is plain, but it is eaten with ssamjang, a dipping paste of fermented soybean paste and gochujang, set on the table for every wrap.

• Sesame (참깨)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Two dips usually sit by the grill: gireum-jang, which is sesame oil with salt and pepper, and ssamjang, which also has sesame oil mixed in.

• Garlic (마늘)Usually in itOnly this one→

  Sliced raw garlic is served on the side to tuck into each wrap, and there is more garlic mixed into the ssamjang.

• Onion (양파)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Sliced onion is a common side for the grill, and chopped onion is one of the usual ssamjang ingredients.

• Wheat (밀)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  The route for wheat here is the gochujang inside ssamjang, which is often made with wheat — skip the ssamjang and ask for the sesame-oil dip if wheat is the concern.

• Sulfites (아황산류)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Wine samgyeopsal soaks or reduces the pork in wine, and wine commonly has added sulfites.

• Fish (생선)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  The dipping sauce is usually ssamjang, but some places serve meljeot, a salted anchovy sauce, or salted hairtail innards. It comes as a separate sauce, so you can decline it or ask them not to heat it on the grill.

• Jeotgal and fish sauce (젓갈 · 액젓)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  Some places serve salted seafood such as meljeot or hairtail innards as a dipping sauce, and the kimchi side dish is seasoned with salted seafood too. Both come separately, but the kimchi is sometimes grilled on the same grill.

• Shrimp (새우)Sometimes in itOnly this one→

  The kimchi served as a side dish is commonly seasoned with salted shrimp. It comes separately, but it is sometimes grilled on the same grill.

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

  Jjusam is webfoot octopus stir-fried with pork belly in a spicy sauce.

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 11 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.