복국 · Puffer-fish soup

Puffer-fish soup

복국

What exactly is it?

Prepared puffer fish and vegetables make either a clear bok-jiri or a chili-seasoned bok-maeuntang. The flesh is firm and the broth relatively light. For ordering, clear versus spicy is more informative than the broad name bok-guk.

Main ingredients

Professionally prepared puffer fish, radish, bean sprouts, water dropwort, garlic

Ordering and serving

Puffer fish requires specialist preparation; choose a prepared dish at a specialist restaurant. Prices can differ by species and fresh or frozen supply, so read the full menu name before ordering.

Origins and changes

Coastal puffer-fish specialists divide their menus by species and broth style. KTO’s listing for Busan’s Halmae Bokguk, for example, distinguishes species-specific clear and spicy soups. The name does not refer only to one clear recipe.

Sources checked

english.visitkorea.or.kr · 1

How do similar dishes compare?

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Puffer-fish soup

복국

Main ingredients: Professionally prepared puffer fish, radish, bean sprouts, water dropwort, garlic
Flavor and character: Prepared puffer fish and vegetables make either a clear bok-jiri or a chili-seasoned bok-maeuntang. The flesh is firm and the broth relatively light. For ordering, clear versus spicy is more informative than the broad name bok-guk.
How to eat it: Puffer fish requires specialist preparation; choose a prepared dish at a specialist restaurant. Prices can differ by species and fresh or frozen supply, so read the full menu name before ordering.

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Chueotang

추어탕

Main ingredients: Loach, greens or vegetables, perilla seed
Flavor and character: Loach is simmered with greens, either ground into the soup or left more intact. Namwon-style and Gyeongsang-style bowls differ; some Gyeongsang versions emphasize cabbage and a lighter broth. Prickly-ash seasonings can taste strikingly aromatic or numbing.
How to eat it: Ask whether the fish is ground if you do not want whole loach. Start with very little prickly-ash seasoning; you can always add more after tasting.

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