Seon (food)
Encyclopedia
Seon refers to Korean traditional dishes made by steaming
vegetables such as zucchini
s, cucumber
s, eggplants, or Napa cabbage
s that are stuffed with fillings. Although the term is a counterpart of jjim
, dishes made by steaming meat
or seafood
, the concept is not clearly settled. To make a hobakseon (호박선) or oiseon (오이선), a zucchini or cucumber is cut to pieces of 4 or 5 cm in length and slit in a quarter. The pieces are briefly salted and the juice is squeezed a little. Beef or chicken and onions are chopped and mixed together with seasonings to make fillings. The prepared pieces of the zucchini or cucumber are stuffed with the fillings and placed on a pot. Seasoned stock or vegetable broth is poured over the ingredients till soaked and boiled or steamed for 5 or 10 minutes. After finished the cooking, slices of seogi (석이, Umbilicaria esculenta
), chili peppers, and jidan (지단, fried eggs separated into white and yellow layers) are placed on the dish as gomyeong (고명, garnishes). Besides the dish, gajiseon (가지선, steamed eggplant), gochuseon (고추선, steamed chili pepper
), donggwaseon (동과선, steamed winter melon
), museon (무선, steamed daikon
), baechuseon (steamed napa cabbage
) and dubuseon (steamed tofu
) are representative of seon dishes.
titled Eumsik dimibang
written during the mid Joseon Dynasty
, the historic recipe of donggwaseon (동과선), a variety of seon dishes made with dongga (winter melon
) is very different from the modern one. Thick slices of a winter melon are lightly parboil
ed in water and then along with oil are put into a bowl of the boiled mixture of ganjang
and water. After the sauce is discarded, a new bowl of boiled ganjang mixed with minced ginger
is poured over the vegetables. Donggwaseon is preserved and is eaten with vinegar spread over it.
In Siui jeonseo, a cookbook written in the late 19th century, a recipe of hobakseon (호박선, zucchini seon) is similar to the modern seon dishes. A zucchini is hollowed out and filled with various condiments and steamed. A sauce made with vinegar, ganjang
and honey
is poured over the cooked dish and sliced chili pepper
, seogi (석이 Umbilicaria esculenta
), and jidan (fried eggs) are place on the zucchini and ground pine nut
s are spread over it.
However, the term did not have its modern meaning as late as the 1930s; cookbooks written at that time use the term very differently—they refer to cheongeoseon (청어선, steamed herring
with fillings), yangseon (양선, steamed and stuffed beef intestine
), or dalgyalseon (달걀선, steamed eggs). At present, the term is generally limited to stuffed vegetable dishes.
Steaming
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. Steaming is considered a healthy cooking technique and capable of cooking almost all kinds of food.-Method:...
vegetables such as zucchini
Zucchini
The zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...
s, cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
s, eggplants, or Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage , also known as celery cabbage, is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China, and is widely used in East Asian cuisine. In much of the world, this is the vegetable referred to as "Chinese cabbage"...
s that are stuffed with fillings. Although the term is a counterpart of jjim
Jjim
Jjim is a Korean cuisine term referring to dishes made by steaming or boiling meat, chicken, fish, or shellfish which have been marinated in a sauce or soup. The cooking technique originally referred to dishes cooked in a siru by steaming...
, dishes made by steaming meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
or seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, the concept is not clearly settled. To make a hobakseon (호박선) or oiseon (오이선), a zucchini or cucumber is cut to pieces of 4 or 5 cm in length and slit in a quarter. The pieces are briefly salted and the juice is squeezed a little. Beef or chicken and onions are chopped and mixed together with seasonings to make fillings. The prepared pieces of the zucchini or cucumber are stuffed with the fillings and placed on a pot. Seasoned stock or vegetable broth is poured over the ingredients till soaked and boiled or steamed for 5 or 10 minutes. After finished the cooking, slices of seogi (석이, Umbilicaria esculenta
Umbilicaria esculenta
Umbilicaria esculenta is a lichen of the genus Umbilicaria that grows on rocks. It can be found in East Asia including in China, Japan, and Korea . It is edible when properly prepared and has been used as a food source and medicine...
), chili peppers, and jidan (지단, fried eggs separated into white and yellow layers) are placed on the dish as gomyeong (고명, garnishes). Besides the dish, gajiseon (가지선, steamed eggplant), gochuseon (고추선, steamed chili pepper
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
), donggwaseon (동과선, steamed winter melon
Winter melon
The winter melon, also called white gourd, ash gourd, or "fuzzy melon", is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. The fruit is fuzzy when young. The immature melon has thick white flesh that is sweet when eaten...
), museon (무선, steamed daikon
Daikon
Daikon , Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also called White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, lo bok and Mooli , is a mild flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish...
), baechuseon (steamed napa cabbage
Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage , also known as celery cabbage, is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China, and is widely used in East Asian cuisine. In much of the world, this is the vegetable referred to as "Chinese cabbage"...
) and dubuseon (steamed tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
) are representative of seon dishes.
In historical cookbooks
According to a cookbookCookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
titled Eumsik dimibang
Eumsik dimibang
The Eumsik dimibang or Gyugon siuibang is a Korean cookbook written around 1670 by Lady Jang from Andong Clan, Gyeongsang Province during the Joseon Dynasty. The author was in the noble yangban class and the book is a manuscript written in hangul...
written during the mid Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, the historic recipe of donggwaseon (동과선), a variety of seon dishes made with dongga (winter melon
Winter melon
The winter melon, also called white gourd, ash gourd, or "fuzzy melon", is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa. The fruit is fuzzy when young. The immature melon has thick white flesh that is sweet when eaten...
) is very different from the modern one. Thick slices of a winter melon are lightly parboil
Parboil
Parboiling is the partial boiling of food as the first step in the cooking process.The word is often used when referring to parboiled rice. Parboiling can also be used for removing poisonous or foul-tasting substances from foodstuffs...
ed in water and then along with oil are put into a bowl of the boiled mixture of ganjang
Ganjang
Ganjang is a kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment.Traditionally, Koreans start processing soybeans around the 10th month of the lunar calendar. They soak soybeans overnight and then boil them. They then pound the soybeans into a powder and...
and water. After the sauce is discarded, a new bowl of boiled ganjang mixed with minced ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
is poured over the vegetables. Donggwaseon is preserved and is eaten with vinegar spread over it.
In Siui jeonseo, a cookbook written in the late 19th century, a recipe of hobakseon (호박선, zucchini seon) is similar to the modern seon dishes. A zucchini is hollowed out and filled with various condiments and steamed. A sauce made with vinegar, ganjang
Ganjang
Ganjang is a kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment.Traditionally, Koreans start processing soybeans around the 10th month of the lunar calendar. They soak soybeans overnight and then boil them. They then pound the soybeans into a powder and...
and honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
is poured over the cooked dish and sliced chili pepper
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
, seogi (석이 Umbilicaria esculenta
Umbilicaria esculenta
Umbilicaria esculenta is a lichen of the genus Umbilicaria that grows on rocks. It can be found in East Asia including in China, Japan, and Korea . It is edible when properly prepared and has been used as a food source and medicine...
), and jidan (fried eggs) are place on the zucchini and ground pine nut
Pine nut
Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s are spread over it.
However, the term did not have its modern meaning as late as the 1930s; cookbooks written at that time use the term very differently—they refer to cheongeoseon (청어선, steamed herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
with fillings), yangseon (양선, steamed and stuffed beef intestine
Offal
Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than...
), or dalgyalseon (달걀선, steamed eggs). At present, the term is generally limited to stuffed vegetable dishes.
External links
- Oiseon recipe at the Seattle Times Dobuseon recipe at casa.co.kr