How to Reheat Kimbap?

If you’re a fan of Korean cuisine, you don’t need an introduction to kimbap. If you’re here because you love sushi, you already know the taste of well-seasoned kimbap.

Kimbap should be eaten at room temperature. That is why you should reheat it if Korean sushi has been stored in the refrigerator overnight.

Although it’s not easy to reheat these Korean seaweed rolls, there are several ways you can reheat kimbap without sacrificing texture and taste.

 

@luna.daily1 Kimbap 😋 #gimbap #nauan #ancungtiktok #cooking #xuhuong ♬ nhạc nền – Luna

What is Kimbap?

Kimbap, also known as gimbap, is a Korean sushi dish usually eaten as a snack. The small sushi is made of rice, seaweed, and a mixture of vegetables and protein sources.

Seasoning is mainly nutty sesame oil and salt, but flavors can vary from place to place. It’s worth noting that kimbap isn’t as traditional as some think.

The dish is served fresh and eaten at room temperature. Many put kimbap in the fridge to eat later, but it’s known that storing it for too long dramatically changes the taste of kimbap.

Related reading: How To Reheat Samosas?

Can You Reheat Kimbap?

Yes, you can reheat kimbap. Most of the time, you need to eat these Korean snacks within a couple of hours of making them so that the flavor and texture aren’t affected. The only proper way to reheat kimbap is in a pan on the stove.

However, you must brush the kimbap with an egg before frying the egg-coated kimbap. Other methods, such as reheating in the microwave, would make the kimbap quite soggy. To get the most out of the seasoning, it’s best to eat the kimbap the same day it’s prepared and within a few hours.

How to Reheat Kimbap in Pan on the Stove?

Reheating kimbap should be done in a way that preserves the texture without making it too dry or cooked through.

You can use either a skillet or a frying pan for this, but we’ll give you a hint that you need eggs to warm up kimbap. Coating the sushi ensures that the loss of quality is minimized.

If you have a plate full of kimbap, you may need to crack a few eggs before you get started. Be mindful of the number of eggs you need to beat them well.

1. Place a pan or skillet on the stove and let the pan get a little hot.
2. You should add a little oil of your choice. Use some sesame oil to make sure you get the original flavor. Otherwise, odorless vegetable oil is always a safe option.
3. Turn the heat to medium.
4. Dip your kimbap into the beaten egg and make sure they’re entirely covered. You can take it slow by dipping one piece at a time and placing them in the pan.
5. Let the egg coating cook and brown on each side as you flip the kimbap piece. It’s crucial that you keep the heat low to medium throughout the reheating process.

Since the kimbap is coated, too much or too little heat could keep the inside of the sushi cold, taking too long to reheat.

How to Heat up Kimbap in the Microwave?

The microwave warms up any food in minutes and provides the convenience of hot food, even with leftovers. Still, kimbap is a snack that can’t be eaten hot.

While that doesn’t mean you can eat almost frozen sushi from the fridge, we’d like to point out that reheating kimbap in the microwave can make it soggy and mushy.

Many don’t mind this mushiness, but most people love the solid, textured form of the snack much more.

If you still want to heat up kimbap in the microwave, here’s how.

1. Let the kimbap sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes.
2. Cover the kimbap with microwave-safe glass or a wet paper towel.  This will prevent the direct heat from making the kimbap mushy and prevent it from drying out.
3. Heat it in 15-second intervals.

How to Reheat Kimbap without Egg?

These rice and seaweed rolls can be easily reheated by dipping them in an egg and placing them in the frying pan. But not everyone likes the egg-coated kimbap and wants to find ways to reheat kimbap without eggs.

While we can’t promise that kimbap without egg won’t get a little mushy and lose texture, you can reheat up kimbap without egg just like any other food.

Microwave

You can quickly reheat kimbap without egg in the microwave. Just put it in the microwave and heat it for a few seconds.

Oven

You can also put the kimbap in the oven or toaster oven at low heat. It’s advisable to keep it away from direct heat. Therefore, you can also try heating the sushi snack in the oven with indirect heat.

Related reading: How to Reheat Edamame?

Can You Eat Kimbap Cold?

While you can eat kimbap cold, you definitely shouldn’t, just like you can eat any other food directly from the fridge. It’s best to eat kimbap at room temperature within a few hours of preparation. Usually, kimbap isn’t eaten hot or cold.

You may want to keep in mind that the taste and texture of the seasoning will change if kimbap is stored in the refrigerator. With or without eggs, the snack won’t taste as fresh.

Conclusion

If you know how to heat kimbap properly, you can take it out of the refrigerator at any time of the day and eat kimbap for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It sounds like a delicious idea!

However, reheating kimbap makes it lose its original flavor and makes it mushy. The only decent way to heat up kimbap is by coating them with beaten egg and lightly frying it in a greased pan. Any other method is possible, but we can’t promise it’ll taste the same.