 A variety ofdosirak sold in a convenience store | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 도시락 |
| RR | dosirak |
| MR | tosirak |
| IPA | to.ɕi.ɾak̚ |
Dosirak (Korean: 도시락) refers to a packed meal, often for lunch. It usually consists ofbap (밥;lit. cooked rice) and severalbanchan (side dishes).[1] The lunch boxes, also calleddosirak ordosirak-tong (dosirak case), are typically plastic or thermo-steel containers with or without compartments or tiers.[2] Dosirak is often home-made, but is also sold in train stations, convenience stores,[3][4] and some restaurants.
Dosirak is derived from the Early Modern Korean word도슭.[5][citation needed] Records dating to the 18th century attest to this as well as other variations such as밥고리, and밥동고리.[6] The practice of packing food as done withdosirak is not a unique practice to Korean cuisine, and the moderndosirak can be seen as the Korean form of lunch boxes.
Unlike the more formalchanhap (찬합) enjoyed by the nobility, Joseon era peasants and soldiers would carry lunch in a simple woven bamboo or woodtumak (투막) box when expected to be outside the home during meal time. As Korea became more industrialized and the lunchboxes simplified,dosirak became the common definition of any lunchbox, used by the working classes as a quick and easy meal that could be eaten on the go.[7][8][9]
Dosirak in its modern form was introduced to Korea during theJapanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945). During that period, Korean cuisine adopted Western food and drink, as well as some Japanese food items such asbento (Japanese packed lunches) andnorimaki sushi rolled in sheets of seaweed, popularized in Korea under the name ofgimbap.[10]
Following the Korean War and post-war occupation, raw materials became scarce and cheap tin lunchboxes made from scrap metal were used to contain a simple meal of rice, banchan, and some protein. Parents would send their children to school with a lunch in these simple, aluminum boxes without dividers, and the food contained would invariably become jumbled together as the student travelled to school. During the winter, students would leave theirdosirak on top of the radiator to keep them warm until lunchtime.[11]
As Korea became more prosperous, affluent workers and students could afford to go out to eat for lunch, the humbledosirak fell out of favor as the province of poor. When health conscious modern Koreans began to revisit packed lunches, they begain using the fancy divided Japanese stylebento boxes to keep the meal's ingredients perfectly arranged and separate.[12]
The mixed up taste of old style aluminumdosirak started to come back in favor in the early 2000s as nostalgic comfort food, a memory of the innocence of youth. Modernpocha reintroduced the dish as a contrast to the sterile Japanese bento and fancyMichelin starred restaurants, shaken at the table to simulate the mixing that would have occurred in transit.[13][14]
Home-madedosirak is often packed in tiered lunch boxes that can separatebap (cooked rice) andbanchan (side dishes).[15] Theguk (soup) tier, if included, is usually kept warm by insulation.[16] Plastic or thermo-steel containers are most common, but combinations of wood and lacquer, ceramics and bamboo, as well as other materials, are also used.[17]
Yennal-dosirak (옛날 도시락;lit. old-styledosirak) consists of (rice), stir-friedkimchi,egg-washed and pan-fried sausages, fried eggs, and shreddedgim (seaweed), typically packed in a rectangular lunchbox made oftinplate orGerman silver. It is shaken with the lid on, thereby mixing the ingredients prior to eating.[2][16][18]Gimbap-dosirak (김밥 도시락;lit. packedgimbap), made with slicedgimbap (seaweed rolls), is often packed for picnics.[19]
.jpg)
.jpg)
The dictionary definition of도시락 at WiktionaryThis process was initiated during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945), when Western food and drink, such as bread, confectionery, and beer, became popular in Korean cities, and a Western-style food processing industry in Korea began. Some Japanese food items were also adopted into Korean cuisine at that time, such as tosirak (the assorted lunch box) and sushi rolled in sheets of seaweed, which was popular in Korea under the name of kimbap.
| Common meals | |
|---|---|
| Components andcourses | |
| Table service | |
| Presentation | |
| Dining | |
| Regional styles | |
| Packed | |
| Menus and meal deals | |
| Communal meals | |
| Catering and food delivery | |
| Places to eat | |
| Related | |
.svg)
