Korean Gangwon-Style Loach Soup
Gangwon-style chueotang is a thick, hearty loach soup in which the entire fish is boiled, blended smooth, and returned to the pot with ground perilla seeds and dried radish greens. Pulverizing the loach whole dissolves its small bones into the broth, creating a calcium-rich liquid with a distinctive earthy depth. Perilla seed powder transforms the soup into something creamy and nutty, far removed from a typical clear broth. Dried radish greens, rehydrated and chopped, provide a pleasantly chewy counterpoint to the thick liquid. Doenjang and gochugaru add fermented savoriness and gentle heat that deepen the overall flavor. The finished soup is dense and substantial - closer to a stew than a broth - and is traditionally eaten in autumn and winter as a stamina food. In the mountainous Gangwon province, chueotang holds a near-legendary status as a warming, restorative meal on the coldest days.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Clean the loach, rub lightly with salt to remove slime, and rinse well.
- 2
Boil loach for 10 minutes, then strain, reserving both broth and fish.
- 3
Blend the cooked loach smoothly and return it to the reserved broth.
- 4
Add doenjang, chili flakes, and garlic; simmer 15 minutes.
- 5
Add pre-cooked radish greens and simmer another 15 minutes.
- 6
Stir in perilla powder and cook on low for 5 minutes to thicken.
- 7
Add green onion and chili, simmer 2 minutes, and serve hot.
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