Sundubu-jjigae

Sundubu-jjigae (, -豆腐--) or soft tofu stew is a "jjigae" (찌개, Korean stew) in Korean cuisine. The dish is made with freshly curdled soft tofu (which has not been strained and pressed), vegetables, sometimes mushrooms, onion, optional seafood (commonly oysters, mussels, clams and shrimp), optional meat (commonly beef or pork), and "gochujang (chili paste)" or "gochu garu" (chili powder). The dish is assembled and cooked directly in the serving vessel, which is traditionally made of thick, robust porcelain, but can also be ground out of solid stone. A raw egg can be put in the "jjigae" just before serving, and the dish is delivered while bubbling vigorously. It is typically eaten with a bowl of cooked white rice and several "banchan" (side dishes).
Extra soft tofu, called "sundubu" (; "mild tofu") in Korean, is softer than other types of tofu and is usually sold in tubes. The "sun" in "sundubu" means "pure" in Korean.
History.
The origins of using unpressed tofu in Korean cuisine is not well documented, but records from the Joseon dynasty archives show an early form of sundubu jjigae being served. Some historians assume that unpressed tofu use spread to the masses during the Joseon dynasty.
Overseas.
Following the Korean war, some American military servicemen who returned from South Korea brought home jjigae (especially dubu jjigae) recipes. In the 1990s, Korean immigrants in Los Angeles brought sundubu jjigae to the United States.Hee Sook Lee, a first-generation Korean immigrant, opened the first sundubu restaurant in Vermont Avenue, Koreatown. It has eventually been introduced back to South Korea due to its popularity.