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    Home » Noodles and Rice

    Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    Published 05/03/2015. Updated 08/17/2019

    Jump to Recipe

    This mini gimbap or (kimbap) is so addictive that it’s called mayak gimbap, meaning drug gimbap. It’s minimalist kimbap that’s addictive.

    DSC 0917 2 e1566061945769 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    This child-size gimbap (or kimbap) is called ggoma gimbap (꼬마김밥) because of its small size. Ggoma means a little one or little kid in Korean. It’s also known as mayak kimbap (마약김밥). Mayak means narcotic drugs, so the name comes from this gimbap’s reputation for being addictive. It’s a specialty of Gwangjang Market (광장시장), a bustling, crowded market in the center city of Seoul, where the merchants came up with the idea to serve these little guys with a sweet and tangy hot mustard sauce. It’s this sauce that makes the gimbap addictive.

    By the way, if you travel to Seoul, Gwangjang Market is a fun place to visit, which boasts, among other things, all sorts of street food. The market is a popular place for both locals and tourists.

    SDC117411 e1431045261238 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    Unlike traditional gimbap, this mini gimbap uses minimal ingredients, which takes no effort to roll up. The gimbap I tried in Gwangjang Market, during my trip last year, had only two ingredients in it — yellow pickled radish and carrot, but generously brushed with sesame oil. I used three ingredients here — pickled radish, carrot, and spinach. You can substitute julienned cucumber for spinach.

    DSC 08881 e1430745003591 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    I am not sure what secret ingredients the merchants use for their mustard sauce, but a typical hot mustard sauce includes hot mustard called gyeoja (겨자), vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Here, I tried it with dijon mustard and added finely ground sesame seeds for extra nutty flavor to pair with the sesame oil laden gimbap. It’s addictive!

    DSC 0769 e1430744789873 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    DSC 0750 e1430708965884 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC 0767 150x150 1 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    4.84 from 18 votes
    Servings: 2
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Makes 16 pieces
    • 1-1/2 cups uncooked short grain rice standard measuring cup not the cup that comes with a rice cooker
    • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
    • salt to taste start with ⅓ teaspoon
    • 1 small bunch spinach about 6 ounces
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • salt to taste – about 1/4 teaspoon
    • 1 large carrot julienned
    • 4 yellow pickled radish danmuji strips, pre-cut for gimbap
    • 4 gim aka nori sheets

    Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds finely ground in a spice grinder or mortar bowl
    • 1 tablespoon vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard or Korean hot mustard, gyeoja
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons sugar

    Instructions

    • Cook the rice using a little less water than usual. (Fresh cooked rice is best for gimbap.)
    • Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the spinach, place immediately in the ice bath, then squeeze the water out. Run a knife through the squeezed spinach a couple of times. Season with the sesame oil and salt.
      DSC 0776 e1430710251864 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    • Julienne the carrots. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium high heat. Stir fry the carrots until slightly softened. Lightly season with a pinch of salt.
      DSC 07621 e1430710076922 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    • Cut the pickled radish crosswise in half, and then cut lengthwise in half.
      DSC 0785 e1430710352540 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    • When all the ingredients are ready, remove the rice from the rice cooker. While the rice is still hot, add the sesame oil and salt. Mix well by lightly folding with a rice paddle or spoon until evenly seasoned.
      DSC 1123 e1430711279627 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    • Cut 4 sheets of gim into quarters.
      DSC 0795 e1430710639132 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    • Put a quarter sheet of gim, shiny side down and shorter side toward you, on a cutting board. Spread 1 tablespoon to 1-1/2 tablespoons of rice evenly over the gim, leaving a little bit of space on the side away from you. Do this with your fingers. Keep wet towel and wipe your fingers frequently to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers. Lay the prepared ingredients on top of the rice, closer towards you.
      DSC 0833 e1430710845299 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    • Lift the entire bottom edge with both hands and roll over the filling away from you, tucking in the filling with your fingers.
      DSC 0824 e1430711501365 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    • Rub or brush the roll with a little bit of sesame oil for extra flavor and a shiny look.
      DSC 0871 e1430710992435 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)

    For the sauce

    • Finely grind the sesame seeds in a spice grinder or mortar bowl. Mix with the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved and the ground sesame seeds are evenly distributed.
      DSC 0805 e1430710514787 - Mini Gimbap (Mayak Gimbap)
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kirsty says

      October 19, 2023 at 5:31 am

      How long can these be at room temperature in a lunch container? Planning to make these for my daughter for her school lunch.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        October 20, 2023 at 10:43 pm

        If you make it in the morning, it should be fine for her lunch. She’ll love it!

        Reply
    2. Sangnam says

      August 24, 2023 at 6:53 am

      5 stars
      I just love these little guys, so yummy!!!!

      Reply
    3. Sangnam Nam says

      August 24, 2023 at 6:49 am

      I love to eat this delicacy. My only joy except steak and vegetable.
      Please post more of these home made Korean dish.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 26, 2023 at 10:51 am

        There are more gimbap recipes on this website. Hope you check them out.

        Reply
    4. Helene says

      February 18, 2022 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      This was extremely delicious! I made the spinach according to your Sigeumchi Namul recipe. My husband and I couldn’t get enough. I never had a chance to have these when I went to South Korea, and now that I have developed a severe shellfish allergy, I need to make most Asian food myself. Thank you for this recipe!!

      Reply
    5. Julia Bascom says

      April 14, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      5 stars
      This is fantastic! I added fish cake and will very happily make these again and again! Can’t wait to share this recipe with my daughter who enjoys sushi but can’t afford it as often as she would like. I bet they would be terrific with baked tofu as well. And the sauce is very good, I had tahini and used that for the ground sesame.

      Reply
      • Julie says

        August 15, 2021 at 11:20 am

        Where can I get pickled yellow radish? Or what would be a good substitute?
        Julie

        Reply
        • Hyosun says

          August 16, 2021 at 11:55 pm

          Korean or other Asian markets. Cut some cucumbers into long sticks and lightly salt for 15 to 20 minutes to draw out some moisture and season. This will also give the cucumbers a bit extra crunch. You can simply use fresh cucumbers, but pickled yellow radish is seasoned so try salting the cucumbers. Pickled vegetables can be a good substitute as well.

          Reply
    6. Jin Ki says

      June 16, 2020 at 8:56 pm

      I love Mayak kimbap… had it Gwangjang Market on one of my visits to Korea… It has been 2 years since my last visit to Korea and do not see any chance (due to covid) of a visit in the foreseeable future… Your blog is a lifesaver since I can cook many of the Korean dishes that I miss…. will try making mayak kimbap soon… thank you for sharing❤️

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        June 18, 2020 at 1:41 am

        aww that’s great to hear! Thank you! I know.. let’s hope we can visit soon.

        Reply
    7. Thelma Acoba says

      May 31, 2020 at 4:50 am

      I like the layout of the recipes and pictures. It makes it easy to follow. Thank you so much. I like Korean food, too.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 31, 2020 at 11:47 pm

        Oh thank you! Happy to hear that. Hope you find many recipes you like here.

        Reply
    8. Michelle says

      May 29, 2016 at 1:55 pm

      I made this a couple days ago, and my family loved it so much, they asked me to make a large batch for a potluck! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 30, 2016 at 10:39 pm

        Awesome! I am so happy to hear that. It will be great for a potluck. Thank you, Michelle!

        Reply
    9. kate whittum-shrimankar says

      February 14, 2016 at 1:07 pm

      Good morning Mrs. Hyosun-
      thanks for this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make something different for my son’s lunchbox, so I’m excited to try this. One quick question- when sesame oil is called for in a recipe, is it always the toasted sesame oil?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        February 14, 2016 at 5:10 pm

        Gimbap is always nice for lunch box! I think you meant sesame seeds. If so, yes!

        Reply
    10. Vivian says

      October 30, 2015 at 3:01 pm

      I agree that these are addicting! They are very tasty and fun to make as well. Thanks for all your simple to follow recipes,

      Reply
    11. Lorreene Lorianto says

      August 18, 2015 at 10:53 am

      Must try!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 18, 2015 at 7:57 pm

        Yes!

        Reply
    12. DJ says

      August 06, 2015 at 11:25 pm

      Hello there, I would love to make these for my wife but she’s allergic to carrots (regular orange carrot) . Can you please advice what is a great substitute beside’s carrot.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 08, 2015 at 12:17 am

        How about red (or orange) bell pepper? Thinly slice and stir fry lightly with a little bit of salt. You can also thinly slice kimchi, squeeze out the liquid, and mix in a little bit of sesame oil. Go to my traditional gimbap recipe and see if you want to use any of the ingredients listed there. You can also use thinly sliced and stir-fried spam or hot dog if you want.

        Reply
        • DJ says

          August 09, 2015 at 9:05 pm

          Appreciate it … Will try it out during the weekends 🙂

          Reply
    13. lilli says

      May 05, 2015 at 2:20 pm

      Thank you my boys will love this- a quick and easy way to make gimbap! Could you suggest a meat filling that would be good for these?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 05, 2015 at 10:15 pm

        Beef strips will be good. See my traditional gimbap recipe that’s linked in the headnote of this post. Spam or hot dogs will be good too. Just cut into thin strips and stir-fry quickly before using. Enjoy!

        Reply
    14. Ulrike Drissner says

      May 05, 2015 at 3:57 am

      Thank you so much for today’s post. I visited gwangjang market today and tried the Gimbap, they were incredibly delicious!
      Regards from Seoul!
      Ulrike

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 05, 2015 at 10:47 pm

        That’s awesome! I’m glad to hear you went and enjoyed the gimbap. Enjoy your stay in Seoul. I’m envious of you.

        Reply
    15. Angie G says

      May 04, 2015 at 2:50 pm

      I love Gimbap! and what a smart thing to make for lunch during the summer. Thanks for the recipe and for the dipping sauce recipe!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 05, 2015 at 10:23 pm

        You’re welcome, Angie! Hope you get to make it soon.

        Reply
    16. Sarah says

      May 04, 2015 at 1:33 pm

      Thank u! This looks so yummy! I’m a mom of three young children who will love this!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 05, 2015 at 10:26 pm

        Yeah this gimbap is great for children, and easy for mom to whip up to feed hungry children. Enjoy!

        Reply
    17. ruth says

      May 04, 2015 at 7:08 am

      Post me more receipts on sushi roll I like it.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        May 05, 2015 at 10:37 pm

        Stay tuned! More to come.

        Reply
        • Sangnam says

          August 24, 2023 at 6:55 am

          5 stars
          Will expect you to do so soon.

          Reply
    4.84 from 18 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

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