Recipe of the Week–Kimbap

Cherry Bell Damasco-Farrington is the ITRT at William Byrd High School, the Spanish
instructor for the Roanoke County Public Schools Online Academy, and Wonju Chairperson of
the Roanoke Valley Sister Cities, Inc (RVSCI). She is sponsor of the Junior Class and Terrier TV
at WBHS and she teaches Zumba at area fitness centers. She, along with several other RCPS
teachers, is a tour director for the Vinton WorldTrekkers who lead groups of students and adults
on educational trips abroad each summer.

But there’s more. On select Saturdays, she hosts/assists language teacher Silvia Lee in teaching
Beginner and Intermediate level Korean language classes at William Byrd. Students don’t just
learn the language, they learn about Korean culture.

Currently there are three Byrd students (senior Owen Humphries, freshman Kendall Adams, and
graduate Nathan Hiemstra) enrolled in the language classes along with a larger group of mostly
adults from around the valley. Some are planning on making the WorldTrekkers trip to South
Korea in the summer of 2027. Others are just interested in Korean culture.

On October 18, instead of working on language skills, Lee taught a hands-on cooking class,
hosted by Damasco-Farrington, the RVSCI, the William Byrd International Club, and Vinton
WorldTrekkers. The featured recipe was Kimbap, a very common dish in South Korea.

Kimbap is a Korean seaweed rice roll filled with a variety of delicious fillings. “Kim” is the
dried seaweed, and “bap” is rice. Kimbap is a Korean staple enjoyed as an appetizer, snack,
picnic meal, or on-the-go food.

Here’s the list of ingredients, many available at your regular grocery store, or at
Korean/Asian markets, or online at Amazon. The ingredients are meant to represent the full
color spectrum, symbolizing harmony and balance.

Rice—medium grain
Sheets of dried seaweed
Pickled sweet radishes (sliced lengthwise)

Cucumbers (sliced lengthwise)
Carrots (julienned)
Spinach (blanched and squeezed)
Sausage (or hot dogs)
Egg (scrambled thin)
Sesame Oil
Salt
Water

Utensils you will need include a bamboo rolling mat, a knife, and cutting board. Once you have
prepped the ingredients, the rolls are fairly easy to assemble.

Instructions: Place the sheet of seaweed on a flat surface (preferably on a bamboo rolling mat)
with the rough side facing up, positioned with the long edges at the top and bottom. Spread (not
press) a thin, even layer of rice over the seaweed leaving about half an inch of space at the top
and bottom edges. Next, layer (stack) the cucumber, carrot, sausage (hot dog), spinach, pickled
radish, and egg, in no particular order. Begin rolling from one side holding fillings firmly in
place with steady pressure. When you reach the end, apply a little water along the edge of the
seaweed to help it seal and finish rolling quickly and tightly. You may brush sesame oil on the
outside. Then slice into one-inch pieces with sharp knife and serve.

The exact origins of kimbap are not clear. One theory suggests that kimbap emerged during the
Japanese occupation of Korea in the early 20 th century when Koreans adapted the Japanese sushi
roll to suit their own tastes. Koreans began seasoning their rice with sesame oil instead of rice
vinegar and filled their rolls with a variety of local ingredients.

Lee and Farrington hope to offer another Korean cooking class in the spring. For more
information on the Vinton WorldTrekkers and Korean language classes, visit
https://www.facebook.com/VintonWorldTrekkers/.