Jeonju bibimbap

The Jeonju version stands out from the base up: the rice is cooked in beef broth rather than water, which seasons it from within. Then come namul, seasonal vegetables dressed one by one, marinated raw beef, an egg yolk, the city’s bean sprouts and a spoonful of gochujang. Historic restaurants count up to thirty components. The dish is said to come from court banquets or, on another theory, from the year-end ritual of emptying leftovers into one bowl. It must be mixed vigorously before eating: "bibim" means precisely that, to mix.