What is Army Stew?

Army Stew is also known as Budae Jjiggae (부대찌개). It is a fusion dish incorporating processed
meats from America such as SPAM, ham, bacon and hot dogs into a Korean kimchi stew. Budae (
부대) is a Korean word used to denote a military base while Jjiggae (찌개) refers to a stew. A stew is
thicker and heartier than traditional guk (soup). Thus, Budae Jjiggae is translated into “Army Stew”
due to its origin. This dish is unique as unlike traditional Korean cuisines, this dish incorporates
American influence visible from the addition of processed meats.

History of Army Stew

After the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953, food was in short supply. However,
processed meats were present in large amounts from military bases in America. Thus, Koreans
residing near American army bases started to supplement their shortage of food by consuming the
processed meats. Ham, hot dogs, SPAM and baked beans are examples of processed meats available
in those military bases. Army Stew first started appearing in the city of Uijeongbu (의정부), where
American military bases were located. There are 2 main perspectives on how Army Stew came
about. The first perspective is that Army Stew actually began as a buttery stir-fried snack made of
sausages, ham, cabbages and onions to accompany cloudy rice wine, but later on, the stew was
created by flavouring anchovy broth with gochujang and kimchi. The second perspective on the
other hand states that a restaurant owner in Uijeongbu used the processed meats that were in
abundance to make a stew. Since then, Army Stew quickly gained popularity as a comfort food.

Army Stew in Korea now

Despite the dish’s humble beginning in the post-war period, Army Stew continued to grow in
popularity and is still famous till this day. In South Korea, restaurants that specialise in Army Stew
can be found everywhere; but the most famous ones are found on the budae-jjigae street in
Uijeongbu, the birthplace of the dish. Army Stew now is a popular dish to be enjoyed with alcoholic
drinks (anju), it is also a popular lunch item in college neighbourhoods. Common ingredients now
include Vienna sausage, bacon, tofu, , pork, ground beef, instant noodles, tteok (rice cake), scallions,
chili peppers, garlic, cheese and vegetables that are in season.

How to make Army Stew?

Army Stew is easier to make as compared to other stews in Korean cuisines. This is because minimal
ingredients are required. With Army Stew, it is hard to go wrong because the only compulsory
ingredients are kimchi and some processed meats. To obtain a better stew, it is recommended to
use kimchi that is older.