Ssam food recipe: A case study on jongka ancestral ritual food

Abstract

Background: Jongka (宗家, a traditional Korean family) is a traditional Korean familial system that has existed since the mid-Chosun period (1392–1910). The present study explores the etymology and historical value of a representative ancestral ritual food of jongka, “ssam (쌈).” Over many years, ssam has been gradually modified from its original form. This study seeks to identify the history of ssam's transformation and to determine its original form. Methods: Three related dishes were considered, and finally, the “mitssam (밑쌈)” of Bangchon jongka was selected for a field study in which the author visited a jongka to prepare “mitssam” and participated in bulcheonwi (不遷位, unmovable ancestral tablet) ancestral rites. Results: It was found that the name “mitssam” is a misnomer of the proper name “mwissam (뮈쌈)” with the “mwi (뮈)” in “mwissam” being a pure Korean word referring to a sea cucumber (海蔘). Haesamjeon (海蔘煎, a pancake made with sea cucumber) probably first appeared in records in the later 17th century and early 18th century. The pure Korean word “mwi” used in the 19th century fell out of use in the 20th century as the modern term “missam (미쌈)” took over. “Mwi” was eventually replaced with “mi (미);” members of the jongka pronounced “mwissam” as “mitssam” when speaking the term, and eventually “mitssam” became the name of the dish. Conclusion: Apart from “mwissam,” other lost jongka ancestral ritual foods and related recipes should be recovered. They should be maintained along with modern recipes and Korea's traditional food culture values. Keywords: Ancestral ritual food, Haesamjeon, Jongka, Korea, Ssam food