Emart24 Ham Ssam Whole Garlic Jeyuk Review [Korean Food]

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Emart24 has a lunch box line built entirely around meat called Yukha Wonchik. The name is the Korean term for the “5W1H” rule, and “yuk” also sounds like the Korean word for meat. Today’s pick comes from the line’s new ham ssam branch: the Ham Ssam Whole Garlic Jeyuk & Tongtong Soya. Much like CU’s Ilpum boxes or Seven-Eleven’s Uiseong Garlic boxes, it follows a once-trendy style that lays sliced ham over the rice for wrapping (“ssam” means a wrap). As the first menu in that branch, it keeps things basic with jeyuk (spicy stir-fried pork) and a sausage-and-vegetable stir-fry. True to a line known for solid meat dishes, it turned out quietly enjoyable, so let’s take a look.

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Product: Yukha Wonchik Ham Ssam Whole Garlic Jeyuk & Tongtong Soya
Store: Emart24
Price: 5,500 won
Calories: 665 kcal
Weight: 388 g
Sodium: 65% of the daily recommended intake
Main components: whole garlic jeyuk (Korean pork hind leg with Chung Jung One Myeongga pork bulgogi sauce), Tongtong Soya (sausage and vegetable stir-fry), stir-fried kimchi, stir-fried fish cake, seasoned spinach + ham slices for wrapping
Verdict: ★4.0 — apart from a skimpy jeyuk portion, a hearty meat box with little to fault.

Ham Ssam Whole Garlic Jeyuk & Tongtong Soya: Price and Highlights

Emart24’s Yukha Wonchik lineup has grown fairly varied by now. It started by combining different meat dishes around its basic “meat lunch box” concept, and now it’s adding ham ssam to roll out even more options. This is the first of those menus. The stars are said to be a whole garlic jeyuk made with fresh, chilled marinated Korean pork and a stir-fry of plump sausages and vegetables. The price is 5,500 won.

Spicy stir-fried pork paired with ham ssam

The box weighs 388 g in total, with 665 kcal and sodium at 65% of the daily recommended intake. It’s built around meat sides, yet there’s nothing fried, so the calories feel lower than expected for the weight. Sodium is on the high side, but it isn’t far off from other lunch boxes.

What’s in the Box

Let’s run through the full lineup. True to the name, there are two main sides and three extra sides. Add the ham ssam, and it’s practically (?) a six-side lunch box. There’s also a surprisingly large amount of side dishes compared with the rice.

The Mains: Whole Garlic Jeyuk and Tongtong Soya

First up are the two mains, the whole garlic jeyuk and the Tongtong Soya. Just as the names say, you get spicy stir-fried pork with whole garlic cloves and a stir-fry of plump sausages. I assumed the garlic would be lightly roasted first, but it looks like they simply tossed in raw cloves. Ha. That said, the jeyuk portion itself doesn’t look very big. The label says it uses Korean pork hind leg.

Surprisingly, the label also notes that the jeyuk is seasoned with Chung Jung One’s Myeongga pork bulgogi sauce, which got my hopes up. Ha. For the sausage stir-fry, they went with fairly thick sausages. The ingredient list doesn’t reveal how much pork is in them. Still, I’ve never seen a box put in sausages this chunky and then use ones heavy on chicken or flour. So I was quietly expecting them to taste pretty good. Ha.

Easygoing Sides and the Ham Ssam

The remaining sides are stir-fried kimchi, stir-fried fish cake, and seasoned spinach. None of them are anything special, so they’re best enjoyed as light accompaniments. Most people eat these three without complaint whenever they show up in a convenience store box anyway.

Then there’s the ham ssam, arguably the biggest feature of this lineup. Rather than the usual canned pressed ham, it looks like a sandwich-style ham slice cut in half. It should still work nicely for wrapping up bites of rice.

Taste Test: How Do the Meats Hold Up?

Let’s dig in. With generous meat sides and extras that rarely divide opinion, this box only needs to nail the basics. I started with one of the mains, the Tongtong Soya.

The sausages seem to be on the higher end for pork content. They have a pleasantly snappy bite, with no overly dry texture when you chew. Even so, they aren’t premium-sausage level, so it’s best to keep expectations moderate. Ha. The seasoning and vegetables weren’t overdone either, making it just right with rice.

Great Flavor, Too Little Jeyuk

Next came the jeyuk. The flavor itself was good, but the portion left me wanting more. Its small size was the most critical flaw. The whole garlic adds a point of interest, yet it isn’t roasted, and you’re not eating it as a lettuce wrap either, so it didn’t do much for me. Honestly, a little less garlic and a few more pieces of pork would have worked better.

A close look at the sausage and vegetable stir-fry

Anyway, the lineup works well: pick at the jeyuk, sausage, and easygoing sides, then wrap everything up in the ham ssam. If you’re not picky about side dishes, this box will make the rice disappear fast. The jeyuk may be small, but thanks to the seasoning it definitely tastes good.

Highlights of the Ham Ssam Whole Garlic Jeyuk

Final Verdict: A Filling Meat Box, Minus the Jeyuk Portion

Overall, apart from the slightly small serving of jeyuk, there was little to fault here. There’s plenty of meat and just enough rice, so nothing runs short or goes to waste, and it all pairs well with the sides for a filling meal. When you want a simple lunch sorted without overthinking it, this is an easy pick. For visitors to Korea, it’s also a handy introduction to jeyuk and the Korean habit of wrapping rice into ssam-style bites.

Ham ssam set meal review: the meat sides

Looking forward to the Ham Ssam Whole Garlic Jeyuk set

The whole garlic jeyuk here uses chilled, marinated Korean pork. For more on the meat quality in Emart24’s lunch boxes, see this (Korean source) ET News report on Emart24 lunch boxes and chilled Korean pork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much is the Emart24 Ham Ssam Whole Garlic Jeyuk box?

It costs 5,500 won for 388 g and 665 kcal. There’s nothing fried, so the calories are lower than you might expect for a meat-heavy box, and sodium comes to 65% of the daily recommended intake.

Q. What does “soya” mean in Tongtong Soya?

It’s Korean shorthand for a sausage-and-vegetable stir-fry. Here it uses thick, snappy sausages with light seasoning and vegetables, so it goes down easily with rice.

Q. Is there enough jeyuk in the box?

Not really, and that was my biggest complaint. The Chung Jung One pork bulgogi sauce makes it tasty, but I’d have preferred fewer garlic cloves and a few more pieces of pork.

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