| Korean name | |
| Hangul: | Korean: 도시락 |
| Rr: | dosirak |
| Mr: | tosirak |
| Koreanipa: | pronounced as /ko/ |
Dosirak refers to a packed meal, often for lunch. It usually consists of bap (Korean: 밥, cooked rice) and several banchan (side dishes).[1] The lunch boxes, also called dosirak or dosirak-tong (dosirak case), are typically plastic or thermo-steel containers with or without compartments or tiers.[2] Dosirak is often home-made, but is also sold in train stations and convenience stores.[3] [4]
Dosirak is derived from the Early Modern Korean word Korean: 도슭. Records dating to the 18th century attest to this as well as other variations such as Korean: 밥고리, and Korean: 밥동고리.[5] The practice of packing food as done with dosirak isn't a unique practice to Korean Cuisine, and the modern dosirak can be seen as the Korean form of lunch boxes.
Home-made dosirak is often packed in tiered lunch boxes that can separate bap (cooked rice) and banchan (side dishes).[6] The guk (soup) tier, if included, is usually kept warm by insulation.[7] Plastic or thermo-steel containers are most common, but combinations of wood and lacquer, ceramics and bamboo, as well as other materials, are also used.[8]
Yennal-dosirak (Korean: 옛날 도시락; "old-time dosirak") consists of bap (rice), stir-fried kimchi, egg-washed and pan-fried sausages, fried eggs, and shredded gim (seaweed), typically packed in a rectangular lunchbox made of tinplate or German silver. It is shaken with the lid on, thereby mixing the ingredients prior to eating. [9] Gimbap-dosirak (Korean: 김밥 도시락; "packed gimbap"), made with sliced gimbap (seaweed rolls), is often packed for picnics.[10]