What is "jjigae"

n. A Korean stew, typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a seasoned broth and served boiling hot.

Jjigae is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. There are many different varieties but it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeujeot. Jjigae is typically served in a communal dish and boiling hot.

A Korean meal almost always includes either a jjigae or a guk. During the Joseon, it had the older name jochi and two varieties would always be present on the King's surasang.

The different types of jjigae are typically named according to their principal ingredients such as saengseon jjigae (생선찌개) made from fish or dubu jjigae (두부찌개) made from tofu, or according to their broth and seasonings like gochujang jjigae (고추장찌개) or doenjang jjigae (된장찌개).