It is a representative Korean convenience food, made by spreading rice on seaweed and rolling it with various ingredients. The origins of Gimbap date back to the Joseon Dynasty. At that time, there was a food called 'Bokssam' on the ancestral rites offered to the Gods on the first full moon of the first lunar month to pray for good luck. 'Bokssam' refers to a food made with stir-fried Chwinamul (Aster leaf salad) and rice wrapped in cabbage or seaweed. In particular, the food mixed with Chwinamul and Ogokbap(Five-grain rice) and wrapped in Gim(Dried seaweed) was called 'Gimssam'. There was also a food called ‘Bojagi(clothwrapper)bap’, which was wrapped rice with vegetable leaves or seaweed instead of seaweed. Therefore, Gimbap is a food derived from Gimssam , Bojagibap.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Gimbap was traditionally a special food eaten during picnics, sports competitions, and outdoor activities. Since then, kimbap specialty stores have opened up and it has become a food that anyone can easily eat. Gimbap occupies an important place in Korea's street food culture, and is sold as a basic menu item at convenience stores and snack bars. Recently, it has become popular not only in Korea but also around the world, thanks to its advantage of being able to easily prepare meals at a low price.

Moreover, the method of making is relatively simple and the ingredients can be freely changed. The basic compositions are seaweed, rice, and fillings. Representative ingredients include pickled radish, spinach, carrots, cucumber, eggs, and meat, and Gimbap using various ingredients such as tuna, cheese, Bulgogi(made by marinating thinly sliced ??beef in soy sauce and then grilling), pork cutlet, and anchovies has appeared. In this way, Gimbap can be enjoyed as a nutritious and healthy food containing a variety of ingredients, so it is loved by people of all ages.