Sukjunamul
Encyclopedia
Sukjunamul refers to a seasoned banchan
(side dish) made from mung bean
sprouts in Korean cuisine. However, the sprouts themselves are also called sukjunamul in the Korean language
. It is a common banchan, as well as a common ingredient in bokkeumbap (Korean fried rice
) and mandu
(Korean dumplings).
In order to prepare the dish, after the roots and skin are removed from the sprouts, the sprouts are parboiled, drained, and then seasoned with sesame oil
, soy sauce
, chopped green onions
, sesame
seeds, pepper
and minced garlic
.
(신숙주 申叔舟), one of the prominent scholars who participated in creating Hangul
. Unlike his colleagues (later called Sayuksin) who had all pledged allegiance to King Danjeong
, Shin Suk-ju betrayed them in favor of Danjeong's uncle, Grand Prince Suyang (later King Sejo), who usurped the throne from his nephew and had him killed..
There are several theories to why sukjunamul was named after him. Firstly, because the people regarded Shin's behaviors unethical and immoral, they named the sprout which happens to go bad and spoil very easily. Another theory says that sukjunamul was named thus because when making mandu, sukjunamul is smashed, like the feeling one projects in thinking of Shin Suk-Ju. A third theory: when Shin Suk-Ju held the position of Yeonguijeong
(Prime Minister) a great famine came over the land, so Shin had mung beans imported from China to be eaten like the more common kongnamul
. The name is to said to be given in his honor, a theory that has a completely different point of view than the previous theories.
Banchan
Banchan refers to small dishes of food served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. This word is used both in the singular and plural....
(side dish) made from mung bean
Mung bean
The mung bean is the seed of Vigna radiata. It is native to the Indian subcontinent.-Description:They are small, ovoid in shape, and green in color...
sprouts in Korean cuisine. However, the sprouts themselves are also called sukjunamul in the Korean language
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
. It is a common banchan, as well as a common ingredient in bokkeumbap (Korean fried rice
Fried rice
Fried rice is a popular component of Asian cuisine, especially Chinese food. It is made from steamed rice stir-fried in a wok, often with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, and meat. It is sometimes served as the penultimate dish in Chinese banquets...
) and mandu
Mandu (dumpling)
Mandu are dumplings in Korean cuisine. They are similar to pelmeni and pierogi in some Slavic cultures. The name is a cognate to the names of similar types of meat-filled dumplings in Central Asia, such as Turkish manti, Kazakh manty, and Uzbek manti.In Korean cuisine, mandu generally denotes a...
(Korean dumplings).
In order to prepare the dish, after the roots and skin are removed from the sprouts, the sprouts are parboiled, drained, and then seasoned with sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
, soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, chopped green onions
Scallion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
, sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
seeds, pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
and minced garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
.
Etymology
The dish is also sometimes called nokdunamul because the sprout grows from nokdu (녹두, mung bean). It is said that the first two syllables of the name, sukju derives from Shin Suk-juShin Suk-ju
Shin Suk-ju was a Korean politician and soldier during the Joseon Dynasty. He served as Prime Minister from 1461 to 1464 and from 1471 to 1475. His pen name was Huihyundang , Bohanjae ....
(신숙주 申叔舟), one of the prominent scholars who participated in creating Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
. Unlike his colleagues (later called Sayuksin) who had all pledged allegiance to King Danjeong
Danjong of Joseon
Danjong of Joseon was the sixth king of the Joseon Dynasty.Danjong succeeded his father, Munjong of Joseon, at the age of 12...
, Shin Suk-ju betrayed them in favor of Danjeong's uncle, Grand Prince Suyang (later King Sejo), who usurped the throne from his nephew and had him killed..
There are several theories to why sukjunamul was named after him. Firstly, because the people regarded Shin's behaviors unethical and immoral, they named the sprout which happens to go bad and spoil very easily. Another theory says that sukjunamul was named thus because when making mandu, sukjunamul is smashed, like the feeling one projects in thinking of Shin Suk-Ju. A third theory: when Shin Suk-Ju held the position of Yeonguijeong
Yeonguijeong
Yeonguijeong was a title created in 1400, during the Joseon Dynasty of Korea and given to the Chief State Councillor as the highest government position of "Uijeongbu" . Existing for over 500 years, its function can be compared to that of a present day "Prime Minister of South Korea"...
(Prime Minister) a great famine came over the land, so Shin had mung beans imported from China to be eaten like the more common kongnamul
Kongnamul
Kongnamul, an example of Korean cuisine, refers to a seasoned banchan made from soybean sprouts, as well as being a term for the sprouts themselves in the Korean language...
. The name is to said to be given in his honor, a theory that has a completely different point of view than the previous theories.