Korean Clam Kalguksu (Hand-Cut Noodles in Clam Broth)
Quick answer
Baekhap kalguksu is a Korean knife-cut noodle soup in which the broth is derived entirely from hard clams rather than the more standard anchovy base.
What makes this special
- Hard clams simmered until open provide a pure, oceanic base for these hand-cut baekhap kalguksu.
- Purged clams cooked until open, broth strained through cloth for clarity
- Noodle starch gradually thickens the broth without any added thickener
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Soak 500 g clams in salted water for 20 minutes to purge sand.
- 2 Put 1100 ml water and the cleaned clams in a pot, then bring it to a boil over high heat.
- 3 Strain the clam broth through cloth to remove sand and shell fragments, then return it to the pot.
Baekhap kalguksu is a Korean knife-cut noodle soup in which the broth is derived entirely from hard clams rather than the more standard anchovy base. Purged clams are placed in cold water and brought to a boil; once the shells open, the clams are lifted out and the broth is strained through cheesecloth to remove any residual sand or shell fragments. Thinly sliced daikon radish and Korean zucchini cook in the strained broth for five minutes, contributing vegetal sweetness. The hand-cut noodles go in next and are boiled for six to seven minutes until they turn translucent; starch released from the noodles thickens the broth naturally into a lightly viscous, silky consistency without any additional thickener. Once the noodles are cooked, the reserved clam meat returns to the pot, and the soup is seasoned with minced garlic and guk-ganjang. Onion added with the vegetables deepens the broth's sweetness further. Because clam liquor rather than dried anchovy forms the base, the soup carries a distinctly marine, mineral character that permeates every strand of noodle, setting baekhap kalguksu apart from all other regional kalguksu variations. Along the coastal areas of South Chungcheong and Jeolla Provinces, this style of noodle soup has been a local specialty for generations, best in the seasons when clams are most abundant.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Soak 500 g clams in salted water for 20 minutes to purge sand.
Scrub the shells against each other under running water, then discard cracked clams before they go into the broth.
- 2Control
Put 1100 ml water and the cleaned clams in a pot, then bring it to a boil over high heat.
Lift the clams out as soon as the shells open so the meat stays tender.
- 3Control
Strain the clam broth through cloth to remove sand and shell fragments, then return it to the pot.
Add 120 g thinly sliced radish and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- 4Control
Add 100 g zucchini and 80 g onion, both thinly sliced, to the simmering broth.
Stir in 1 tbsp minced garlic and 1 tbsp soup soy sauce, then cook for 3 minutes until the vegetables soften slightly.
- 5Control
Shake excess flour from 320 g fresh kalguksu noodles before adding them, which keeps the broth from turning cloudy.
Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring often, until the noodles look slightly translucent.
- 6Finish
Return the reserved clam meat to the pot and warm it for only 1 minute.
Season within the 0.5 tsp salt amount as needed, check that unopened clams are discarded, and serve hot.
After the steps
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Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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