Kimjang (the annual kimchi-making season) is incomplete until you wrap a tender slice of suyuk (boiled pork) in freshly made kimchi. Suyuk—originally called suk-yuk—refers to meat boiled in water and has been recorded since the Goryeo era as a ritual offering. Boiled pork eaten wrapped in kimchi or lettuce is called bossam; bossam specifically describes the act of wrapping thinly sliced pork, and it likely evolved from a high-end Kaesong kimchi called bossam kimchi, once served to honored guests. Pork became widely eaten as industrialized pig farming expanded in the 1970s, making it an affordable everyday meat. Different pork cuts (samgyeopsal, moksal, front and hind leg, hangjeongsal, etc.) produce varied textures and flavors in suyuk. This winter, after finishing kimjang, enjoy a warm piece of suyuk with newly made kimchi to celebrate the season’s work.
