Budaejjigae: Why Is There an Army in My Stew?

Today, let’s talk about budaejjigae!

부대 + 찌개: military unit + stew.

“Wait… military unit? An army stew?”

A curious name, right? Let’s find out what’s in the pot.

1. What’s the Army Connection?

Budaejjigae uses ingredients such as ham, sausages, bacon, and baked beans. The exact mix varies by restaurant.

Kimchi, gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), and other Korean seasonings usually give the broth a red color and a spicy kick. Then the saltiness of the ham and sausages joins in. Take a bite of noodles that have soaked up that broth—ahh, so satisfying!

The name is widely traced to dishes made with ham and sausages available around U.S. military bases after the Korean War. In a time when food was scarce, people brought these ingredients together in a pot, leading to the budaejjigae we know today.

But don’t let the military name fool you. This tastes like heaven, not army rations. Haha.

2. Don’t Forget the Ramyeon Noodles!

Many budaejjigae restaurants bring out a pot of broth, ham, sausages, and other ingredients to cook at your table.

On the menu, look for 사리 추가. The word 추가 (chuga) means adding or ordering more. Think of 사리 (sari) as toppings or extras for your stew—like extra noodles or rice cakes!

라면 사리 (ramyeon sari) usually means extra ramyeon noodles—not a whole packet of instant noodles with its soup seasoning. Under the add-ons, you can choose extra noodles, rice cakes, and similar ingredients for your pot.

Add-on	Ingredient
햄 사리 ham sari	Extra ham
떡 사리 tteok sari	Rice cakes
라면 사리 ramyeon sari	Ramyeon noodles
당면 사리 dangmyeon sari	Glass noodles

Options and prices vary.

My strongest recommendation? The ramyeon sari!

To me, budaejjigae without them is like bungeoppang, the fish-shaped pastry, without its red bean filling. Yes, ham is central to the stew—but without noodles, something feels missing. Haha.

Some restaurants charge for the noodles; others offer unlimited noodles. Check the menu before ordering.

3. Let’s Get It Bubbling

1. Staff will often place the pot on the tabletop burner and turn on the heat. Follow the restaurant’s instructions.
2. If you want the noodles right away, add them once the broth starts boiling. That’s the key: noodles into boiling broth!
   
   Or enjoy the stew on its own first. When you’re about halfway through, add more broth, bring it back to a boil, and put in the noodles then. Choose whichever way you prefer.
3. Once the ingredients and noodles are cooked, ladle some into your own bowl.
4. Here’s my tip: add a little rice to that bowl of stew.

Wow. So good! Just writing this is making me want budaejjigae right now.

Running low on broth? You can ask:

Now you can recognize 육수 추가, too: 육수 (yuksu) means stock or broth, and 추가 means more. How it’s provided and what it costs can vary by restaurant. After topping up the broth, bring the pot back to a boil.

4. Say This When You Order

Some restaurants take orders starting at two servings, so check the minimum.