Budae Jjigae (부대찌개)

'Army stew' — sausage, spam, ramyeon and kimchi in one pot.

Korean name: 부대찌개
Spice level: Medium
Flavor: spicy · savory
Typically contains: pork, processed meat
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩10,000–₩14,000 per person checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●●○ Solo dining ●●○○○ Kid-friendly ●●●○○
Also written as: budae jigae, army stew, army base stew, budaejjigae

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Budae Jjigae?

Budae-jjigae (부대찌개), "army base stew," combines ham, sausage, spam, baked beans, and instant ramyeon noodles in a spicy kimchi broth — born of post-war scarcity around U.S. bases in Uijeongbu and now a beloved comfort food. It cooks on a burner at the table, everyone adding ramyeon at the right moment. The dish is simultaneously a history lesson and one of Korea's favorite group meals.

How to eat it

Let it boil down a few minutes at the table burner before eating — the flavor comes together as it reduces.
Add the ramyeon noodles only when you're ready to eat them; they overcook fast.
Ladle over rice, and put the cheese slice in early so it melts through the broth.

Cooking it at home

Arrange spam, sausage, kimchi, tofu, baked beans and onion in a shallow pot.
Add gochugaru-garlic seasoning paste and stock; boil hard.
Drop ramyeon noodles in the last 3 minutes.

Good to know

Processed meats make it very salty — go easy on added seasoning and drink water.

Born in Uijeongbu from US army-base surplus after the war — the city still has a dedicated budae-jjigae street.

Nutrition

Calories	123 kcal
Carbohydrate	10.27 g
Protein	5.86 g
Fat	6.49 g
Sodium	239 mg

Per serving (~600g): ≈738 kcal · sodium ≈1,434 mg (72% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 600g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 부대찌개, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.