In its basic form, boribap is a South Korean dish consisting of steamed rice and barley that are served with doenjang stew (fermented soybean) and a variety of side dishes (banchan). The dishes served with boribap are typically vegetarian and may include various greens and vegetables (namul), and they are usually topped with gochujang chili paste or doenjang.

Although there are specialized restaurants that offer boribap as an elaborate meal during which you choose your banchan, the dish is also served in a bowl in which the combination of rice and barley is placed on the bottom, and various banchan are added as toppings.