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Best Jjim in Toronto
“Meat or seafood marinated in sauce, then boiled down until the liquid reduces to something deep and cling-worthy.”
What the real thing tastes like
Jjim (Korean: 찜; Korean pronunciation: [tɕ͈im]) 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 (시루, earthenware steamer mainly used for making tteok) by steaming. However, the name jjim has now come to imply a finished dish with a steamed appearance. The cooking method for most jjim dishes nowadays has changed to boiling the ingredients in broth and reducing the liquid. Pressure cookers are popular for making jjim as well. Proteins galbi, beef shank or rump, chicken, fish, or shellfish are usually the main ingredients. The ingredients are marinated in a sauce, then put to a boil with a small amount of water. The liquid is then reduced. Various vegetables and other ingredients are added for enhanced flavor.
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Jjim is the Korean steamed-and-simmered answer to deep, savory intensity. Meat, fish, or shellfish gets cradled in sauce, then either steamed in earthenware or—more commonly now—gently boiled down until the broth reduces to something concentrated and cling-worthy. Vegetables join the party as it cooks, their flavors melting into the equation. The name itself has shifted over time, once describing the vessel and technique, now describing the finished dish: something that looks and tastes like it's been held in steam.
Order it here when it has
- marinated for depth
- vegetable-enriched
- adaptable proteins
- concentrated flavors
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