Bossam보쌈
Boiled Pork Belly Wraps
Tender boiled pork belly sliced thin and wrapped in salted napa cabbage with garlic, spicy radish salad, and ssamjang. Grill-free Korean BBQ that eats light.
- Spice
- 1/5
- Vegetarian?
- No
- Beginner?
- Yes
- Similar to
- Think of it as a Korean version of poached or boiled ham eaten in a lettuce-wrap taco — the light, unsmoked cousin of pulled pork. Where Western boiled pork might go into a sandwich, bossam goes into a cabbage bundle with pickles and pungent garnishes, so it eats fresh rather than heavy.
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What is Bossam?
Bossam means "wrapped" or "bundled," and that is exactly what it is. Instead of grilling, the pork belly is simmered — often with doenjang, ginger, garlic, and sometimes coffee or bay leaf to mellow any pork smell — until it is meltingly tender, then sliced thin. You bundle a slice into a leaf of salted, softened napa cabbage along with an array of savory-spicy fixings. Because nothing is fried or grilled, bossam tastes surprisingly clean and light for a pork dish. It is a classic order for a group dinner and is famously eaten on kimjang day, when families make kimchi together and reward themselves with bossam and the freshest just-made kimchi.
What does it taste like?
Mild, clean, and comforting. The boiled pork is soft and gently savory with silky bands of fat, far lighter than crisp grilled pork. The magic is in the contrast: wrap it with pungent garlic, tangy-spicy radish salad (musaengchae), salty fermented shrimp (saeujeot), and the cabbage, and each bite becomes a burst of textures and flavors. On its own the pork is subtle; the toppings make it sing.
🌶️ Heat: The pork itself is not spicy at all. Mild heat comes from the accompaniments — the spicy radish salad and any fresh kimchi you wrap in — and even those are gentle. You decide how much to add, so it is easy to keep entirely mild.
🎬 Bossam in K-dramas & K-pop
Like its cousin jokbal, bossam is a late-night, share-it-together dish on screen.
- Gathering and drinking scenes — Wrapping bossam in cabbage over drinks is a warm image of friends or family unwinding together after a long day. ▶ Watch on YouTube
Scenes are described for reference only; we do not host any clips or images.
🧾 Key ingredients
- Pork belly or pork shoulder (boiled, not grilled)
- Doenjang, ginger, and garlic (in the boiling liquid)
- Salted napa cabbage leaves (jeolim baechu)
- Spicy radish salad (musaengchae)
- Ssamjang and raw garlic
- Saeujeot (salted fermented shrimp) for dipping
🥗 Dietary notes
A pork dish, so not for vegetarians, vegans, or those avoiding pork for religious reasons. The saeujeot dip contains shellfish, a common allergen — skip it if you are allergic. Ssamjang usually contains soy and wheat, so it is not automatically gluten-free.
How to eat Bossam
No grilling required — the meat arrives cooked and sliced. Take a piece of salted napa cabbage, lay in a slice of pork, then pile on what you like: spicy radish salad, a sliver of raw garlic, a dab of ssamjang, and, for the adventurous, a tiny bit of salted shrimp. Fold it up and eat it in one bite, ssam-style. Bossam almost always comes with fresh kimchi, and wrapping a bit of that in too is the traditional move. It pairs beautifully with soju or makgeolli (milky rice wine).
🍜 Common variations
- Gul-bossam (굴보쌈) — served with fresh raw oysters, a prized seasonal version
- Maeun bossam — with a spicier seasoned radish or kimchi topping
- Jokbal-bossam combo — a mixed platter of trotters and bossam pork
- Bo-ssam kimchi — the whole thing built around freshly made, unfermented kimchi
💡 Insider tips
- This is grill-free BBQ — great if you want the Korean-BBQ social experience without cooking at the table.
- Try the salted shrimp (saeujeot) at least once; a tiny dab adds a savory depth that defines authentic bossam.
- Wrap fresh kimchi in with the pork — the tang cuts the richness and is the traditional pairing.
- If oysters are in season, order gul-bossam; the briny oysters against soft pork are a Korean delicacy.
- Keep wraps to one bite and do not overfill, or the cabbage bundle will fall apart.
Bossam — FAQ
＋ − Is bossam grilled like other Korean BBQ?
No, and that is what sets it apart. The pork is boiled until tender, then sliced and served ready to eat. There is no grill at the table, which makes it lighter and less smoky than samgyeopsal or galbi.
＋ − Is bossam spicy?
The pork itself is not spicy at all. Any heat comes from optional toppings like the spicy radish salad or fresh kimchi you wrap in, and you control how much you add. It is easy to keep mild.
＋ − What is the salted shrimp for?
Saeujeot, salted fermented shrimp, is the traditional dipping sauce for boiled pork. A small amount adds a deep savory, umami saltiness that balances the mild meat. It is optional but very authentic.
＋ − When do Koreans eat bossam?
Anytime as a group dinner, but it is especially associated with kimjang — the day families make large batches of kimchi. Bossam paired with the freshly made kimchi is a beloved reward for the hard work.
Sources & further reading
Written from first-hand experience. Recipes and spice levels vary by cook, region, and restaurant. If you have food allergies, always confirm the exact ingredients before you eat.