How The Korean War Created The BEST Stew On Earth (Budae Jjigae)

Spam, hot dogs, kimchi, and ramen might sound like a drunk grocery list, but together they make one of Korea’s most comforting and addictive dishes: budae jjigae, or Korean army base stew. This stew was born after the Korean War, when people living near U.S. military bases combined surplus American food with Korean ingredients to survive. What started as necessity eventually turned into a bubbling, spicy, communal comfort food that’s now eaten shoulder to shoulder around a hot pot, usually with a few bottles of soju involved. In this episode, I’m making budae jjigae from scratch, starting with a proper anchovy stock, building a deeply savory paste, and loading it up with kimchi, spam, hot dogs, ramen, tofu, and processed cheese. It’s loud, messy, deeply comforting, and meant to be shared, especially when it’s cold out. If you like spicy food, shared meals, and dishes with a real story behind them, you’re gonna like this one. 👕SUPPORT THE CHAN, COP SOME MERCH!: https://adamwitt.store/ 🫶CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROCERY FUND! (Patreon): https://www.patreon.com/adamwitt 👾DISCORD: https://discord.com/invite/aFQ4h4BXg4 📝MORE RECIPES: https://www.adamwitt.co/allrecipes 🔗FOLLOW ALONG ON SOCIAL: https://www.adamwitt.co/social-links RECIPE: https://www.adamwitt.co/allrecipes/armybasestew ________________________________________________________ STUFF I USE… Powerful Portable Stove - https://amzn.to/4a81RvX Butane Canisters (for stove) - https://amzn.to/4t5PQQf Dried Anchovies (Large) - https://amzn.to/45E6RH5 Korean Rice Cakes (Tteok) - https://amzn.to/3NIaHZL Korean Kelp (Dashima) - https://amzn.to/3NYephP Gochujang (chili paste) - https://amzn.to/3M2sWs7 Gochugaru (chili flakes) - https://amzn.to/4t879QE Doenjang (soy bean paste) - https://amzn.to/4amX22Y Shin Ramyun (my favorite) - https://amzn.to/3NKDSLI Toasted Sesame Oil - https://amzn.to/4bpNXrh Rice Wine Vinegar - https://amzn.to/3ZFZNWW Instant Dashi Powder - https://amzn.to/45FfaCy ________________________________________________________ TIMESTAMPS… 00:00 How Army Base Stew Was Born 03:13 Building the Anchovy Broth (Yuksu) 07:11 The Flavor Paste That Makes It Work 9:51 The Broth Is Ready 10:47 Everything That Goes in the Pot 14:06 Assembling and Cooking the Stew 16:54 Eating It the Right Way 18:46 Outro ________________________________________________________ #Koreanfood #Cooking #recipe #asianfood #adamwitt #howto Disclaimer: I earn commission income with qualifying purchases made through Amazon’s Affiliate program and other affiliate links in this description.