Guk
Encyclopedia
Guk also sometimes known as Tang (탕), is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. Guk and tang are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although guk is more watery and a basic dish for the Korean table setting, and is usually eaten at home. On the other hand, tang has less water than guk and has been developed for sale in restaurants.
(ginseng chicken soup), or chueotang (추어탕).
Generally, the names of soups made with vegetables are suffixed with guk rather than tang. Toranguk (taro
soup), kimchiguk (kimchi
soup), muguk (daikon
soup), siraegiguk (soup made with dried napa cabbage
), and miyeok guk
(wakame soup) are some examples. Gamjaguk and gamjatang
are made with different ingredients; gamjaguk is made largely with potatoes, but gamjatang is made with pork bones and few potatoes.
(soy bean paste) or ganjang
, and is served in a bansang (반상, regular meal table). The main ingredients for malgeun jangguk are meat, fish, vegetables, and seafoods. Gomguk, also called gomtang, refers to either a soup type made by boiling various beef parts such as rib, oxtail, brisket, head, and so forth for a long time, or made with ox bone by the same method. The broth of gomguk tends to have a milky color and to be rich and hearty taste. It can also be made with chicken
or pork bone, to produce samgyetang or gamjatang.
Tojangguk are based on doenjang broth and ssaltteumul (쌀뜨물, leftover water after washing rice for cooking). The taste is usually savory and deep. Naengguk are cold soups usually eaten in summer. These soups are usually clean and tangy, such as with oi naengguk (오이냉국, cold cucumber) and miyeok naengguk (미역냉국, cold wakame soup). Kkaetguk (깻국, sesame soup), made with chicken and sesame seeds, is thick and serves to replenish and supplement nutrients during hot weather.
refers to all kinds of cold soups, mainly eaten in summer. They are also called changuk (literally "cold soup") in pure Korean
while the term naengguk is a combination of a Hanja
word and a pure Korean word with the same meaning. The first historical record on naengguk appears in a poem written by Yi Gyu-bo (1168–1241), a high officer of the Goryeo
period (918–1392). Naengguk is referred to as "sungaeng" in the poem, which literally means sunchaeguk, soup made with sunchae (Brasenia schreberi). Yi praised its clear and plain taste.
Naengguk is generally divided into two categories according to taste and ingredients. One group of naengguk is made by mixing chilled water and vinegar to give a sweet and sour taste; examples include miyeok naengguk made with wakame
, oi naengguk made with cucumber, pa naengguk made with spring onions, nameul naengguk made with garlic, and gim naengguk made with gim
or nori
. The other group is made to supplement health and has rich tastes, such as chilled soup made with chicken, sesame, or soy bean.
.
The Japanese word for gukbap is クッパ kuppa. Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto
lent the word to the name of the character Bowser Koopa (大魔王クッパ Daimaō Kuppa in Japanese) in the Mario
series of video games. Alternative names ユッケ Yukke (yukhoe
) and ビビンバ Bibinba (bibimbap
) were also considered, as Miyamoto had intended to name him after a dish in Korean cuisine.
Overview
Guk is a native Korean word, while tang is a Sino-Korean word that originally meant "boiling." Tang has been used as an honorific term in place of guk. Tang can denote the same meaning as guk in the names of dishes such as mae-untang (spicy seafood soup), daegutang (codfish soup), samgyetangSamgyetang
Samgyetang is a variety of guk or Korean soup, which primarily consists of a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. The dish's name literally translates as "ginseng chicken soup" in English...
(ginseng chicken soup), or chueotang (추어탕).
Generally, the names of soups made with vegetables are suffixed with guk rather than tang. Toranguk (taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
soup), kimchiguk (kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
soup), muguk (daikon
Daikon
Daikon , Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also called White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, lo bok and Mooli , is a mild flavoured, very large, white East Asian radish...
soup), siraegiguk (soup made with dried napa cabbage
Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage , also known as celery cabbage, is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China, and is widely used in East Asian cuisine. In much of the world, this is the vegetable referred to as "Chinese cabbage"...
), and miyeok guk
Miyeok guk
Miyeok guk is a Korean soup made from the sea vegetable miyeok. It comprises two words: miyeok, the Korean word for the sea vegetable; and guk, meaning "soup."...
(wakame soup) are some examples. Gamjaguk and gamjatang
Gamjatang
Gamjatang or pork bone soup is a spicy Korean soup made with pork spine, vegetables, green onions, hot peppers and ground wild sesame seeds. It is a matter of contention whether the name of the soup comes from the word for potato or not, because the soup is frequently served without potatoes.The...
are made with different ingredients; gamjaguk is made largely with potatoes, but gamjatang is made with pork bones and few potatoes.
Guk types by broth
Guk is largely categorized into four groups of soups, such as malgeun jangguk (맑은 장국), gomguk (곰국), tojangguk (토장국), and naengguk (냉국). Malgeun jangguk literally means "clear (malgeun, 맑은) soup (guk, 국) seasoned with a condiment (jang, 장)," such as doenjangDoenjang
Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...
(soy bean paste) or ganjang
Ganjang
Ganjang is a kind of Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybeans. Ganjang is a uniquely Korean condiment.Traditionally, Koreans start processing soybeans around the 10th month of the lunar calendar. They soak soybeans overnight and then boil them. They then pound the soybeans into a powder and...
, and is served in a bansang (반상, regular meal table). The main ingredients for malgeun jangguk are meat, fish, vegetables, and seafoods. Gomguk, also called gomtang, refers to either a soup type made by boiling various beef parts such as rib, oxtail, brisket, head, and so forth for a long time, or made with ox bone by the same method. The broth of gomguk tends to have a milky color and to be rich and hearty taste. It can also be made with chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
or pork bone, to produce samgyetang or gamjatang.
Tojangguk are based on doenjang broth and ssaltteumul (쌀뜨물, leftover water after washing rice for cooking). The taste is usually savory and deep. Naengguk are cold soups usually eaten in summer. These soups are usually clean and tangy, such as with oi naengguk (오이냉국, cold cucumber) and miyeok naengguk (미역냉국, cold wakame soup). Kkaetguk (깻국, sesame soup), made with chicken and sesame seeds, is thick and serves to replenish and supplement nutrients during hot weather.
Malgeun jangguk
- Tteokguk (떡국), tteokTteokTteok is a class of Korean rice cakes made with glutinous rice flour , by steaming. Normal rice flour can be used for some kinds of tteok. There are hundreds of different kinds of tteok eaten year round...
(rice cake) soup - Miyeok gukMiyeok gukMiyeok guk is a Korean soup made from the sea vegetable miyeok. It comprises two words: miyeok, the Korean word for the sea vegetable; and guk, meaning "soup."...
(미역국), wakameWakame, Undaria pinnatifida, or Miyeok in Korean, is a sea vegetable, or edible seaweed. It has a subtly sweet flavour and is most often served in soups and salads....
soup - Kongnamul guk (콩나물국), made with kongnamulKongnamulKongnamul, an example of Korean cuisine, refers to a seasoned banchan made from soybean sprouts, as well as being a term for the sprouts themselves in the Korean language...
- Muguk (무국), made with daikon
- Gamjaguk (감자국), made with potato
- Toranguk (토란국), made with taro
- Bugeoguk (북어국), made with dried Alaska pollock
- Bogeoguk (복어국), made with puffer fish
- Jogaeguk (조개국), made with shellfish
- JaecheopgukJaecheopgukJaecheopguk is a clear Korean soup made with small freshwater clams called jaecheop . It is a local specialty of the Gyeongsang Province where jaecheop are harvested, such as the lower reaches of Nakdong River, and river basins around Gimhae, Myeongji, Eumgung, and Hadan counties as well as places...
(재첩국), soup made with jaecheop (small clams, Corbicula flumineaCorbicula flumineaCorbicula fluminea is a species of freshwater clam, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Corbiculidae.This species is of originally mainly Asian origin and thus it is often commonly called Asian clam or Asiatic clam. In the aquarium and koi pond trade it is often called Golden Clam or Golden...
) harvested in rivers of Gyeongsang-do
- Jaecheopguk
Gomguk
- Beef
- Gomguk/gomtang (곰국/곰탕, koːmk͈uk, koːmtʰaŋ):
- Sagol gomtang (사골곰탕), pale-bone broths garnished with oxtail or sliced brisket
- Kkori gomtang (꼬리곰탕), ox tail soup
- SeolleongtangSeolleongtangSeolleongtang or Sul Lung Tang is a Korean broth soup made from ox bones , brisket and other cuts. Seasoning is generally done at the table according to personal taste by adding salt, ground black pepper, red pepper, minced garlic, or chopped spring onions...
(설렁탕): ox leg bone soup simmered for more than 10 hours until the soup is milky-white. Usually served in a bowl containing somyeon and pieces of beef. Sliced scallionScallionScallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
s and black pepper are used as condiments - Galbitang (갈비탕), made with galbiGalbiGalbi or kalbi generally refers to a variety of gui or grilled dishes in Korean cuisine that is made with marinated beef short ribs in a ganjang-based sauce . In the Korean language, galbi literally means "rib" and can often indicate uncooked ribs...
or beef ribs - YukgaejangYukgaejangYukgaejang is a spicy, soup-like Korean dish made from shredded beef with scallions and other ingredients, which are simmered together for a long time. It is a variety of gomguk, or thick soup, which was formerly served in Korean royal court cuisine...
(육개장) - Doganitang (도가니탕)
- Gomguk/gomtang (곰국/곰탕, koːmk͈uk, koːmtʰaŋ):
- Chicken and pork
- SamgyetangSamgyetangSamgyetang is a variety of guk or Korean soup, which primarily consists of a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. The dish's name literally translates as "ginseng chicken soup" in English...
(삼계탕), a soup made with Cornish game hens that are stuffed with ginsengGinsengGinseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
, a hedysarumHedysarumHedysarum is a genus of the botanical family Fabaceae, consisting of about 309 species of annual or perennial herbs in Asia, Europe, North Africa, and North America.-Description:...
, glutinous riceGlutinous riceGlutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous Glutinous rice (Oryza sativa var. glutinosa or Oryza glutinosa; also called sticky rice, sweet rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, mochi rice, and pearl rice, and pulut) is a...
, jujubeJujubeZiziphus zizyphus , commonly called jujube , red date, Chinese date, Korean date, or Indian date is a species of Ziziphus in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae, used primarily as a fruiting shade tree.-Distribution:Its precise natural distribution is uncertain due to extensive cultivation,...
s, garlic, and chestnuts; the soup is traditionally eaten in the summer - GamjatangGamjatangGamjatang or pork bone soup is a spicy Korean soup made with pork spine, vegetables, green onions, hot peppers and ground wild sesame seeds. It is a matter of contention whether the name of the soup comes from the word for potato or not, because the soup is frequently served without potatoes.The...
(감자탕, "potato stew"), a spicy soup made with pork spine, vegetables (especially potatoes), and hot peppers; the vertebrae are usually separated, and the dish is often served as a late night snack but may also be served for lunch or dinner - Dwaeji gukbap (돼지국밥), a representative regional hearty pork-parts soup of coastal Gyeongsang-do
- Samgyetang
Tojangguk
Tojangguk are eaten all year round. The term emerged in the 1930s in Korean cookbooks.- Sigeumchi tojangguk (시금치토장국), made with spinach
- Auk tojangguk (아욱토장국)
- Naengi tojangguk (냉이토장국)
- Ugeojiguk (우거지국), made with ugeoji (우거지, dried napa cabbageNapa cabbageNapa cabbage , also known as celery cabbage, is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China, and is widely used in East Asian cuisine. In much of the world, this is the vegetable referred to as "Chinese cabbage"...
) - Daseulgiguk (다슬기국)
Naengguk
NaenggukNaengguk
Naengguk refers to all kinds of cold guk in Korean cuisine, mainly eaten in summer. It is so called changuk, which literally means "cold soup" in pure Korean, while the term naengguk is a combination of a hanja word and a pure Korean word with the same meaning.The first historical record on...
refers to all kinds of cold soups, mainly eaten in summer. They are also called changuk (literally "cold soup") in pure Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
while the term naengguk is a combination of a Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
word and a pure Korean word with the same meaning. The first historical record on naengguk appears in a poem written by Yi Gyu-bo (1168–1241), a high officer of the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
period (918–1392). Naengguk is referred to as "sungaeng" in the poem, which literally means sunchaeguk, soup made with sunchae (Brasenia schreberi). Yi praised its clear and plain taste.
Naengguk is generally divided into two categories according to taste and ingredients. One group of naengguk is made by mixing chilled water and vinegar to give a sweet and sour taste; examples include miyeok naengguk made with wakame
Wakame
, Undaria pinnatifida, or Miyeok in Korean, is a sea vegetable, or edible seaweed. It has a subtly sweet flavour and is most often served in soups and salads....
, oi naengguk made with cucumber, pa naengguk made with spring onions, nameul naengguk made with garlic, and gim naengguk made with gim
Gim (food)
Gim , also spelled as kim, is the Korean-word for edible seaweed in the genus Porphyra. In Welsh this food is called laver...
or nori
Nori
is the Japanese name for various edible seaweed species of the red alga Porphyra including most notably P. yezoensis and P. tenera, sometimes called laver. Finished products are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking...
. The other group is made to supplement health and has rich tastes, such as chilled soup made with chicken, sesame, or soy bean.
- Miyeok naengguk (미역냉국), cold wakame soup
- Oi naengguk (오이냉국), cold cucumber soup
- Gkaetguk (깻국), hearty cold soup made with chicken and ground sesame seeds
- Naengkongguk (냉콩국), made with ground soybeans and can be used for kongguksuKongguksuKongguksu is a seasonal Korean noodle dish served in a cold soy milk broth. It comprises noodles made with wheat flour and soup made from ground soybeans...
- Kongnamul naengguk (콩나물냉국), made with kongnamulKongnamulKongnamul, an example of Korean cuisine, refers to a seasoned banchan made from soybean sprouts, as well as being a term for the sprouts themselves in the Korean language...
Guk by ingredients
- Maeuntang (매운탕), a refreshing, hot and spicy fish soup.
- HaejanggukHaejanggukHaejangguk refers to all kinds of guk eaten as a hangover cure in Korean cuisine. It means "soup to chase a hangover" and also called sulguk in pure Korean...
(해장국), a favorite hangover cure consisting usually of meaty pork spine, ugeoji (우거지 dried napa cabbage) coagulated ox blood (similar to blood pudding), and vegetables in a hearty beef broth; legend has it that soon after World War II, the restaurant that invented this stew was the only place open in the Jongno district when the curfew at the time lifted at 4:00 AM - Haemultang (해물탕), made with various seafood
- Haemuljaptang (해물잡탕), made with seafood and beef offal, once part of the Korean royal court cuisineKorean royal court cuisineKorean royal court cuisine was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. There has been a revival of this cookery style in the 21st century...
- Altang (알탕), can be made with myeongran jeot (명란젓), salted and fermented Alaska pollack's roe seasoned with chili pepper or fresh roe
- Chueotang (추어탕), made with Misgurnus mizolepis
- Yongbongtang (용봉탕), made with chicken, carp and softshell turtle
- Manduguk (만두국) manduMandu (dumpling)Mandu are dumplings in Korean cuisine. They are similar to pelmeni and pierogi in some Slavic cultures. The name is a cognate to the names of similar types of meat-filled dumplings in Central Asia, such as Turkish manti, Kazakh manty, and Uzbek manti.In Korean cuisine, mandu generally denotes a...
soup - Wanjatang (완자탕), made with wanja (meatball-like jeonJeon (food)Jeon , buchimgae, jijimgae, or jijim refer to many pancake-like dishes in Korean cuisine. It has been also called jeonyueo or jeonyuhwa, especially in Korean royal court cuisine. Sometimes, jeonya is used as an abbreviated term for the two...
) - Gyerantang (계란탕), soup made with eggs
- Ssukkuk (쑥국), made with ssuk (Artemisia princeps var. orientalis)
Gukbap
Gukbap (국밥) are dishes developed from guk. The term literally means "soup with rice." The dish is typically served in restaurants, and has become popular among the working class since the late Joseon DynastyJoseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
.
- Kongnamul gukbap (콩나물국밥), clear soybean sprout (kongnamul) soup with rice
- Ttaro gukbap (따로국밥), a variety of yukgaejangYukgaejangYukgaejang is a spicy, soup-like Korean dish made from shredded beef with scallions and other ingredients, which are simmered together for a long time. It is a variety of gomguk, or thick soup, which was formerly served in Korean royal court cuisine...
, local specialty of DaeguDaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
The Japanese word for gukbap is クッパ kuppa. Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
lent the word to the name of the character Bowser Koopa (大魔王クッパ Daimaō Kuppa in Japanese) in the Mario
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
series of video games. Alternative names ユッケ Yukke (yukhoe
Yukhoe
Yukhoe refers to a variety of hoe , which are usually made from raw ground beef seasoned with various spices or sauces. It is basically a Korean steak tartare. Usually the most tender part of beef will be used...
) and ビビンバ Bibinba (bibimbap
Bibimbap
Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed meal." Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul and gochujang . A raw or fried egg and sliced meat are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating...
) were also considered, as Miyamoto had intended to name him after a dish in Korean cuisine.
External links
- Soups and stews from Food in Korea