Editing Bibimbap (section)

== History ==
The exact origin of bibimbap is unknown. Some scholars assert that bibimbap originates from the traditional practice of mixing all the food offerings made at a ''jesa'' (ancestral rite) in a bowl before partaking of it.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Choe |first1=Sang-Hun |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5qULb0_ExXYC&pg=PA168 |title=Looking for a Mr. Kim in Seoul: A Guide to Korean Expressions |last2=Torchia |first2=Christopher |date=September 2007 |publisher=Master Communications, Inc. |isbn=9781932457032 |page=168 |language=en |access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref> People could have started mixing [[Bap (rice dish)|''bap'']] (rice) with ''[[banchan]]'' (side dishes) after the outdoor ''[[jesa]]'' (rites), such as ''[[sansin]]je'' (rite for mountain gods) or ''[[dongsin]]je'' (rite for village gods), where they needed to "eat with the god" but did not have as many cooking pots and items of crockery on hand as they would normally have at home.<ref name="Hwang 1995">{{cite web |author=황혜성 |date=1995 |script-title=ko:비빔밥 |url=http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0025157 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501064646/http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0025157 |archive-date=1 May 2021 |access-date=13 January 2019 |website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref>

There are two separate ancient writings that suggest the original reasoning behind the creation and use of bibimbap. The first one, "People's Unofficial Story of Jeonju" ({{lang|ko|全州野史}}), describes Jeonju bibimbap, an old-fashioned dish,<ref name="Hwang 1995" /> as being used on occasions such as parties that included government officials of provincial offices. The second text, "Lannokgi" ({{lang|ko|蘭綠記}}), described bibimbap being made by the wives of farmers, who had no time to prepare meals the traditional way with many side dishes. They instead combined the ingredients in one bowl, sometimes adding whatever they happened to be cultivating.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last1=Chung |first1=Kyung Rhan |last2=Yang |first2=Hye-Jeong |last3=Jang |first3=Dai-Ja |last4=Kwon |first4=Dae Young |date=2015 |title=Historical and biological aspects of bibimbap, a Korean ethnic food |journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods |volume=2 |issue=2 |page=74 |doi=10.1016/j.jef.2015.05.002 |doi-access=free}}</ref>  Although bibimbap was originally rarely mentioned and mostly only in hanja records, it began to be more frequently referenced and in [[Hangul]] (Korean alphabets) records as well upon the creation of Hangul by the [[King Sejong the Great]] to improve the state's literacy.<ref name=":1" />

Bibimbap was served to the king, usually as a lunch or a between-meal snack.<ref>{{cite web |title=Origin of Bibimbap |url=http://koreancuisine.kr/en/inner.php?sMenu=C1000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416145208/http://koreancuisine.kr/en/inner.php?sMenu=C1000 |archive-date=16 April 2015 |access-date=12 April 2015 |publisher=Bibimbap Globalization Foundation}}</ref> There was more than vegetables in this bibimbap.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Yu Gu |first=So |title=Limwon-sipyukji (林園十六志) |publisher=Sŏul Taehakkyo Kojŏn Kanhaenghoe (서울大學校古典刊行會) |year=1966 |location=Korea}}</ref>

Ordinary people ate bibimbap on the eve of the [[Korean New Year|lunar new year]]. The people at that time felt that they had to get rid of all the leftover side dishes before the new year. The solution to this problem was to put all the leftovers in a bowl of rice and mix them together.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://folkency.nfm.go.kr/eng/twelvemonths.jsp?id=2233&d=&m=december|title=Rice with Leftovers (1st Lunar Month)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417104202/http://folkency.nfm.go.kr/eng/twelvemonths.jsp?id=2233&d=&m=december|archive-date=17 April 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=8 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Farmers ate bibimbap during farming season as it was the easiest way to make food for a large number of people.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://koreancuisine.kr/en/inner.php?sMenu=C1000|title=Origin of bibimbap|website=Bibimbap Globalization Foundation|access-date=March 6, 2019|archive-date=16 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416145208/http://koreancuisine.kr/en/inner.php?sMenu=C1000|url-status=live}}</ref> Bibimbap came from early rural Koreans taking leftover vegetables, sometimes having meat, with rice and mixing them in a [[bowl]]. This was cheap and did not require all of the time and space of a traditional meal.<ref name=":1" />

The ''[[Oju yeonmun jangjeon sango|Collected Works of Oju]]'' written by [[Yi Gyu-gyeong]] (1788–1856), recorded numerous varieties of bibimbap including such ingredients as ''[[Hoe (food)|hoe]]'', [[Konosirus punctatus|shad]], [[Fenneropenaeus chinensis|prawn]], [[Saeu-jeot|salted shrimp]], shrimp [[roe]], ''[[gejang]]'', [[Allium monanthum|wild chive]], fresh [[cucumber]], ''[[Gim (food)|gim]]'' flakes, [[gochujang]], [[soybean sprout]], and various vegetables. It was also stated here that bibimbap was a local specialty of [[Pyongyang]], along with [[naengmyeon]] and [[gamhongno]].<ref name="Hwang 2016" /><ref name="Shin 2015" />

The first known recipe for ''bibimbap'' is found in the ''[[Siuijeonseo]]'', an anonymous cookbook from the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bibimbap: High-nutrition All-in-one Meal |author=Koo Chun-sur |url=http://www.clickkorea.org/Food/foodView.asp?menubar=4&page=&idx=22 |publisher=[[Korea Foundation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307214708/http://www.clickkorea.org/Food/foodView.asp?menubar=4&page=&idx=22 |archive-date=7 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://100.empas.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=242462&v=44 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] (Empas) |script-title=ko:비빔밥 |access-date=6 December 2006 |language=ko |archive-date=25 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525043136/http://100.empas.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=242462&v=44 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |script-title=ko:전주비빔밥 |url=http://jbfood.go.kr/juhtml/fstory/main.html?thid=40&fpmode=view&page=9&keyfield=&key=&plcode=000100050000 |work=Jeonbuk Food Culture Plaza |access-date=6 December 2006 |language=ko |archive-date=28 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928212513/http://jbfood.go.kr/juhtml/fstory/main.html?thid=40&fpmode=view&page=9&keyfield=&key=&plcode=000100050000 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[division of Korea]] in the 20th century caused a cultural divide in the creation of bibimbap, with two types related to both North and South Korea. The most famous regions for traditional bibimbap happen to be Pyongyang for its vegetable bibimbap in the North and Jeonju for its Jeonju bibimbap.<ref name=":1" />

The late 20th century brought about the globalisation of [[Culture of Korea|Korean culture]], traditions, and food to many areas of the world, with many restaurant chains being opened up in various international airports that encourage the sale of bibimbap.<ref name=":3" /> ''Bibimbap'' started to become widespread in many countries in the West due to its simplicity, cheap cost, and delicious taste. Many airlines connecting to South Korea via [[Incheon International Airport|Seoul]] and [[Gimhae International Airport|Busan]] began to serve [[Airline meal|it]], and it was accepted more globally as a popular Korean dish.<ref name="Jang et al 2016">{{cite journal|last1=Jang|first1=Dai Ja|last2=Lee|first2=Ae Ja|last3=Kang|first3=Soon-A|last4=Lee|first4=Seung Min|last5=Kwon|first5=Dae Young|year=2016|title=Does siwonhan-mat represent delicious in Korean foods?|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|volume=3|issue=2|pages=159–162|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2016.06.002|doi-access=free}}</ref> Bibimbap has also been described as a symbol of the Korean culture to non-Koreans due to Korea becoming more acceptable to foreigners and multicultural traditions.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal|last1=Shen|first1=Shawn|date=2017|title=The Bibimbap Migration Theory? Challenges of Korea's Multicultural Mix and Social Integration Development|journal=Journal of International Migration and Integration|volume=18|issue=3|pages=771–789|doi=10.1007/s12134-016-0489-6|s2cid=147778289}}</ref>