Korean Blood Sausage Soup
Sundae-guk is a hearty soup built on a long-simmered pork bone broth that turns milky white from hours of boiling. Thick slices of Korean blood sausage - pork intestine casing stuffed with glass noodles, barley, and pig's blood - sit in the center of the bowl, their chewy casing absorbing the hot broth while the dense filling inside stays warm and soft. Alongside the sundae, slices of boiled pork shoulder and, in more traditional versions, offal like liver or lung add variety in texture and a faint mineral note. The broth itself is rich yet surprisingly clean, seasoned at the table with either salted shrimp paste or coarse salt depending on the diner's preference. Stirring in a spoonful of dadaegi, a thick chili paste condiment, transforms the bowl entirely, cutting through the richness with a sharp heat. Some shops finish the soup with ground perilla seeds for added nuttiness. Rice is spooned directly into the bowl and eaten together with the broth, making sundae-guk one of the most satisfying cold-weather meals in the Korean street-food tradition.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Slice the sundae into 2 cm pieces and cut the boiled pork into bite-size pieces.
- 2
Pour bone broth into a pot; once it starts simmering, add minced garlic and soup soy sauce.
- 3
Add the pork slices first and simmer for 10 minutes to deepen the broth flavor.
- 4
Add the sundae and cook on low heat for about 8 minutes so it warms through without bursting.
- 5
Stir in perilla powder, simmer 2 minutes, then add green onion for aroma.
- 6
Serve in bowls with salted shrimp and chili flakes on the side for individual seasoning.
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