Korean-style serving of Mandu-guk

만둣국 · Mandu-guk

Mandu-guk

만둣국

What exactly is it?

Large dumplings cook in clear broth with garnishes such as egg and laver. Starch from the wrappers and juices from the filling enrich the soup. Kimchi-filled dumplings can be spicy even in a clear broth; adding rice cakes makes a different combination meal.

Main ingredients

Dumplings, beef or anchovy broth, egg, laver, scallion

Ordering and serving

The filling can be hotter than the surface. Split a dumpling on your spoon and let it cool briefly. Choose between meat and kimchi fillings when ordering.

Origins and changes

It uses filled dumplings as the substance of a soup. Festive dumplings and rice-cake soup also meet in tteok-mandu-guk. Unlike fried or steamed dumplings, the broth is an essential part of the meal.

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Dish to compare

Mandu-guk

만둣국

Main ingredients
Dumplings, beef or anchovy broth, egg, laver, scallion
Flavor and character
Large dumplings cook in clear broth with garnishes such as egg and laver. Starch from the wrappers and juices from the filling enrich the soup. Kimchi-filled dumplings can be spicy even in a clear broth; adding rice cakes makes a different combination meal.
How to eat it
The filling can be hotter than the surface. Split a dumpling on your spoon and let it cool briefly. Choose between meat and kimchi fillings when ordering.
Read about this dish →

Tteokguk

떡국

Main ingredients
Sliced cylinder rice cakes, beef or anchovy stock, egg and laver garnish
Flavor and character
Thin slices of cylinder rice cake soften in broth, rather than reducing in a sauce like tteokbokki. Egg strips, laver or meat top the bowl. Adding dumplings makes it tteok-mandu-guk.
How to eat it
Rice cakes provide the starch instead of a bowl of rice. They swell and stick as they sit in the broth, so eat promptly. In tteok-mandu-guk, the dumpling filling may contain meat or kimchi.
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