[1] It is often accompanied by the condiment ssamjang and can also be topped with raw or cooked garlic, onion, green pepper, or a banchan (small side dish) such as kimchi.

The ancient Korean book of customs Dongguksesigi noted that the women of Goryeo who were taken as servants by the Yuan dynasty made and ate ssam to have the taste of their home country's food and soothe homesickness.

One of them is Eou yadam, a collection of stories written by the scholar Yu Mong-In,[6] who recounts wrapping a sardine in a leafy vegetable with rice and ssamjang.

[5] In Sasojeol (사소절,士小節), a Joseon etiquette book, Lee deok-mu said it is a manner to scoop and roll a ball of rice first before wrapping it with a vegetable from atop while eating ssam.

[6] Jeong yak-yong, a Joseon intellectual, described in his poem about putting gochujang, the traditional Korean red chili paste, and the root of green onion on a lettuce along with rice to eat a ssam.