Dolsot Stone Bowl

A dolsot. or dol sot, is a traditional Korean stone bowl used for the Korean rice dish, bibimbap or jjigae stews. Slowly warm the dolsot stone bowl inside the oven, and then place on a hob to heat sesame oil in the base of the dish. Add pre-cooked rice to the hot dolsot bowl, and hear it crackle! Then add seasoned meats and vegetables and serve the bibimbap with an egg on the top.

Create one large bibimbap as the centre piece of a large, sharing meal, or use a number of bowls to serve individual portions. To protect your surfaces from the hot bowl and add an extra touch of authenticity, pair the dolsot stone bowl with the wooden hot pot rest or other heat-proof stands.

Dolsot stone bowls are similar to ddukbaegi, Korean clay cooking pots. If your recipe calls for a ddukbaegi and you don’t have one, a dolsot can be used in a pinch. Just make sure you have something heavy and heatproof to use as a lid.

Care instructions:

• When you first receive the bowl, fill with water and a tbsp of salt, and place on a very gentle heat on the hob. Bring slowly to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour away the water, and gently wipe out the bowl. Never pour cold water into a hot bowl (or vice versa!). Once the bowl is dry, pour in a little sesame oil and swirl around. The inside will darken. Keep adding little by little until the bowl stops absorbing the oil. Store like this. This helps to prevent food from sticking, and to protect the bowl. 
• Dolsots can be prone to developing hairline cracks, so always heat up slowly, and wait until it has completely cooled before washing – then only use salt to clean, not soap. Never put a hot bowl into cold water, or cold water into a hot bowl.