Korean Pacific Codlet Soup
Quick answer
Mulmegi-tang is a winter-only Korean fish soup made with the Pacific sailfin sandfish, a gelatinous deep-water species caught along the East Sea coast from December throu...
What makes this special
- Mulmegi-tang utilizes Pacific codlet with soft flesh that dissolves into a viscous broth.
- Flesh dissolves into the broth as it cooks, creating natural viscosity
- Collagen content so high the broth sets like jelly when cooled
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Rinse 500 g of Pacific codlet very gently under running water, then drain it...
- 2 Put 1600 ml water and the radish in a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- 3 Add the Pacific codlet and avoid stirring until the broth returns to a steady boil.
Mulmegi-tang is a winter-only Korean fish soup made with the Pacific sailfin sandfish, a gelatinous deep-water species caught along the East Sea coast from December through February. The fish has extraordinarily soft flesh that nearly dissolves into the broth during cooking, releasing natural gelatin that gives the liquid a silky, slightly sticky body unlike any other Korean soup. The broth cools into a jelly-like consistency at room temperature, which reflects just how much collagen the fish contributes to the pot. Bean sprouts add crunch and a clean vegetal note, while water dropwort neutralizes any fishiness and brings its signature herbal fragrance. The soup is made without fermented pastes of any kind - just salt, garlic, and green onion - so the pure, mild flavor of the fish remains at the center. Locals in Gangwon-do and the northern Gyeongsang coast regard this as the finest hangover remedy of the cold months, served boiling in earthenware pots at small harbourside restaurants. Mulmegi-tang is a dish Koreans travel specifically to eat during its short winter window, and the anticipation that comes with its limited availability is part of what makes it worth the trip.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Rinse 500 g of Pacific codlet very gently under running water, then drain it well and cut it into generous serving pieces.
Slice 150 g of Korean radish thick enough to hold its shape in the broth.
- 2Control
Put 1600 ml water and the radish in a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, lower to medium heat and cook about 10 minutes, until the radish edges look slightly translucent.
- 3Heat
Add the Pacific codlet and avoid stirring until the broth returns to a steady boil.
Keep the heat at medium and cook about 8 minutes, until the flesh turns white and the broth becomes slightly thicker.
- 4Control
Add 120 g bean sprouts and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
Leave the lid slightly open and simmer 7 more minutes, so the raw sprout smell cooks off while the sprouts still keep some crunch.
- 5Season
Do not stir the soup hard, because the delicate fish can break apart and cloud the broth.
Skim only the foam, then season gradually with salt, keeping out fermented pastes so the broth stays clear.
- 6Finish
Add the sliced green onion and 50 g water dropwort, then cook only 2 more minutes.
Serve it very hot when the herbs smell fresh, the water dropwort is bright green, and the broth looks lightly glossy.
After the steps
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