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Bulgogi (불고기)

Name: Bulgogi (불고기)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs thinly sliced beef ribeye; 4 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp ginger, minced; 1/4 Asian pear, grated; 3 scallions, sliced; 1 tbsp sesame seeds; 1 onion, sliced; 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Bulgogi (불고기) reads umami 7.7, sweetness 5.5 and richness 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Korean main, about 50 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 8.4 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 6.7 / 10
Sour & Bright — 1.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.9 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 5.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.7 · Sweetness 5.5 · Richness 4.7 · Salinity 4.6 · Allium 4.6 · Nutty 4.0 · Fruity 3.8 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Floral 2.4 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Sourness 1.2 · Bitterness 1.1 · Earthy 0.9

What's in it (11)

1.5 lbs thinly sliced beef ribeye
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1/4 Asian pear, grated
3 scallions, sliced
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 onion, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Time & effort: about 50 min (15 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 213 kcal, 14.6 g protein, 15.8 g fat, 3.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Blend pear or kiwi with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger into a marinade.
Submerge beef slices for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight.
Grill over high heat or stir-fry in a hot pan until caramelized and cooked through, garnishing with scallions and sesame seeds.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Galbi (갈비) — Korean
Gungjung Tteokbokki (Royal Court Rice Cakes in Soy) — Korean
Korean-Style Grilled Short Ribs (Kalbi) — Korean
Weeknight Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowls — Korean
Korean Braised Short Ribs (Galbi Jjim) — Korean

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.