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[RealFood reporter Seong-yeon Yuk] As K-gimbap—from the rolls featured in the film K-Pop Demon Hunters to Trader Joe’s frozen versions—continues to spark global interest, a simple new trend is taking over Korea: cucumber gimbap. Its minimalist recipe has gone viral across social media.
This isn’t just a gimbap with cucumber tucked inside. You don’t roll it. Instead, seasoned rice is mixed with only sliced cucumber, and bites are wrapped in seasoned seaweed (gim) and eaten like little hand snacks.
The method is refreshingly simple. Unlike classic gimbap, which calls for many fillings and steps, anyone can make this at home. All you need are cucumber, seasoned seaweed, rice, sesame oil, salt, and toasted sesame seeds.
With cucumber as the sole filling, these bites are lower in calories than traditional gimbap. If you’re watching your intake, swap white rice for konjac rice, barley, or brown rice to shave off even more calories.
Boost the meal with a protein for better nutrition—tuna, natto, or eggs are great matches. The result is light but satisfying, crisp and refreshing—perfect for early summer snacking.
The craze picked up after a celebrity recipe video. In March, MBC’s variety show Manito Club featured TV personality Hong Jin-kyung making cucumber gimbap, and the recipe spread quickly. Actor Jung Hae-in raved on air that the “popping moisture” from the cucumber is what makes it so delightful.
To prepare it, mix glutinous rice with white rice so the grains are slightly sticky. Season with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a pinch of seasoned salt. Scoop out the cucumber seeds, finely dice the cucumber, and fold it into the rice. Then wrap portions in seasoned or roasted seaweed and eat them immediately—don’t pre-wrap, as they taste best fresh.
Because cucumber packs so much water, small portions feel filling. Cucumbers are famously high in water content, which is why hikers often bring them along.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s nutrition data, cucumbers are about 95% water and contain only 13 kcal per 100 g. They’re also a source of vitamin K—around 20.19 μg per 100 g.
One noteworthy compound is cucurbitacin, the bitter molecule in cucumbers that has shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
There’s research backing cucumber’s anti-inflammatory effects. A team at the University of Bologna reported in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2018) that specific compounds in cucumbers demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory activity.
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