True Taste Korea

Bibimbap

  • Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine Diet Had a Korean Secret: Korean BBQ

    When you think about Wolverine’s diet, Korean BBQ probably isn’t the first food that comes to mind.

    Protein shakes? Sure.

    Chicken breast? Probably.

    But when Hugh Jackman was asked how he built his famously muscular Wolverine physique, the Hollywood star gave an unexpected answer:

    Train hard — and Korean barbecue.

    And he wasn’t joking.

    Hugh Jackman Said He Ate Korean BBQ Every Week

    During a 2009 visit to Seoul to promote X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Jackman was asked about the intense training required to bulk up for the role.

    He mentioned Korean barbecue and revealed that he still ate it at least once a week at a restaurant in New York.

    That makes his Korean food connection much more interesting than a celebrity simply trying bulgogi during a promotional trip to Seoul.

    Jackman was already eating Korean BBQ back home in America.

    And his interest in Korean food didn’t stop there.

    Wolverine Even Cooked Bulgogi

    A few years later, Jackman appeared with his then-wife Deborra-Lee Furness on the American television series Kimchi Chronicles.

    The show explored Korean cuisine and introduced American audiences to traditional Korean dishes.

    Jackman joined chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Marja Vongerichten in the kitchen.

    What did they make?

    Bibimbap and beef bulgogi.

    Yes, Wolverine actually helped cook bulgogi.

    The program even compared Korean barbecue with the legendary barbecue culture of Texas.

    Why Would Korean BBQ Appeal to Wolverine?

    It actually makes sense.

    Korean BBQ is built around meat, but it isn’t just a giant steak dropped onto a plate.

    Take galbi, for example.

    Beef short ribs are commonly marinated with ingredients such as soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and sweetness before being grilled.

    Bulgogi uses thinly sliced marinated beef, creating a softer and sweeter flavor.

    Then comes the Korean part of the experience.

    Instead of eating only meat, diners can wrap it in lettuce, add garlic or ssamjang and eat it with kimchi and other banchan.

    It is meat-heavy enough for Wolverine but much more varied than a plain bodybuilding meal.

    Hugh Jackman Already Had a Connection to Korea

    Jackman’s affection for Korea also had a family connection.

    He explained during his 2009 Seoul visit that his father had spent significant amounts of time in Korea for business over roughly two decades and regularly brought Korean gifts home.

    Jackman had also visited Korea before and was enthusiastic about returning.

    So Korean BBQ wasn’t simply an exotic meal he discovered for a movie promotion.

    Korea had been familiar to him for years.

    Korean BBQ Before K-Food Became Cool

    Today, seeing a Hollywood celebrity eating Korean food is not particularly surprising.

    K-pop, Korean dramas and Korean restaurants have made dishes such as kimchi, bulgogi and Korean fried chicken increasingly familiar around the world.

    But Jackman was publicly talking about his weekly Korean BBQ habit back in 2009.

    That was years before Korean pop culture reached its current level of global popularity.

    So the next time you see Wolverine’s famous physique, remember:

    There was a lot

  • CRAVITY Jungmo Recommends Yukhoe Bibimbap — Would You Eat Raw Beef With Rice?

    When international visitors think of Korean beef, they usually imagine one thing:

    Korean barbecue.

    Meat sizzling over a hot grill.

    But CRAVITY’s Jungmo recommends something completely different.

    Yukhoe bibimbap (육회비빔밥).

    And yes—the beef is served raw.

    When CRAVITY members were asked which Korean food they would recommend to international fans, Jungmo chose yukhoe bibimbap.

    So what exactly is it?

    What Is Yukhoe?

    Yukhoe (육회) is Korean-style raw beef.

    You can think of it as Korea’s answer to beef tartare, although the seasoning and serving style are distinctly Korean.

    Fresh beef is sliced into thin strips and commonly seasoned with ingredients such as sesame oil.

    It is often served with Korean pear, and an egg yolk may be placed on top.

    The Korea Tourism Organization describes Korean yukhoe as beef tartare seasoned with ingredients such as sesame oil and pear.

    But Jungmo’s recommendation takes it one step further.

    He chose yukhoe bibimbap.

    What Is Yukhoe Bibimbap?

    Start with a bowl of rice.

    Then add vegetables.

    Then add seasoned raw beef.

    Finally, mix everything together.

    The Korea Tourism Organization’s version includes beef tartare alongside vegetables such as bean sprouts, spinach, bracken, zucchini and radish, plus egg yolk, seaweed and sesame. The ingredients are mixed with sesame oil and seasoned red chili paste.

    In other words, it’s classic bibimbap with one major twist:

    The beef isn’t cooked.

    Why Raw Beef?

    This might be the part that surprises international visitors most.

    Korean cuisine isn’t only about grilling meat.

    Yukhoe is valued for the beef’s soft texture and relatively delicate flavor, while sesame oil, pear and other seasonings provide sweetness and nuttiness.

    Freshness is especially important because the beef is eaten uncooked.

    Korea Tourism Organization notes that one well-known yukhoe restaurant at Seoul’s Gwangjang Market receives fresh Korean beef daily.

    And yukhoe isn’t some obscure modern experiment.

    It’s established enough that Gwangjang Market has an entire alley famous for it.

    Why Put Yukhoe in Bibimbap?

    Because bibimbap is essentially built for mixing.

    Traditional bibimbap combines rice with vegetables, meat and seasoning in one bowl. Korea Tourism Organization describes it as a representative Korean food that reflects the Korean style of combining different ingredients together.

    Replace the cooked beef with yukhoe and you get a very different experience.

    The warm rice meets cool raw beef.

    Crunchy vegetables meet soft meat.

    Gochujang brings heat and sweetness.

    Sesame oil ties everything together.

    The bowl might look carefully arranged when it arrives.

    Then you destroy the presentation.

    That’s the point.

    Mix everything.

    Is Yukhoe Bibimbap Popular Outside Seoul?

    Yes.

    Different regions have their own versions.

    For example, Korea Tourism Organization highlights yukhoe bibimbap as a popular variation of Jeonju bibimbap and explains that the beef can be seasoned with red chili paste, garlic and sesame oil.

    Jinju is also known for beef tartare bibimbap, where seasoned raw beef is placed with colorful vegetables over rice.

    So this isn’t simply a Seoul trend.

    It’s part of a broader Korean raw-beef food tradition.

    Would You Try Jungmo’s Recommendation?

    If you’re uncomfortable with raw meat, yukhoe bibimbap probably isn’t the first Korean dish you should order.

    Start with bulgogi or Korean barbecue.

    But if you’ve already tried those and want to explore something different, Jungmo’s recommendation makes sense.

    You still get familiar Korean flavors:

    Rice.

    Vegetables.

    Gochujang.

    Sesame oil.

    But right in the middle is something many first-time visitors don’t expect:

    raw beef.

    Korean barbecue lets you cook the beef yourself.

    Yukhoe bibimbap asks:

    What if we don’t cook it at all?