매운탕 · Spicy fish stew

Spicy fish stew

매운탕

What exactly is it?

Maeuntang is a family of chili-seasoned fish stews using marine or freshwater species. A pot containing a whole fish differs from the bone-and-head soup prepared after sashimi. The name alone does not tell you which fish or how much flesh it contains.

Main ingredients

Fish and bones, radish, tofu, water dropwort, chili powder; sometimes gochujang

Ordering and serving

At a raw-fish restaurant, ask whether the stew and rice are included or charged separately. Freshwater versions may offer dough pieces or noodles as add-ons. Keep a spare bowl for bones.

Origins and changes

Extracting stock from fish heads and bones is also part of the hoe-restaurant meal. KTO documents maeuntang made from the remaining head and bones after raw fish is sliced. That finish differs from a separately ordered whole-fish stew.

Sources checked

english.visitkorea.or.kr · 1

How do similar dishes compare?

Choose a dish to compare ingredients, flavor and serving style side by side.

Spicy fish stew

매운탕

Main ingredients: Fish and bones, radish, tofu, water dropwort, chili powder; sometimes gochujang
Flavor and character: Maeuntang is a family of chili-seasoned fish stews using marine or freshwater species. A pot containing a whole fish differs from the bone-and-head soup prepared after sashimi. The name alone does not tell you which fish or how much flesh it contains.
How to eat it: At a raw-fish restaurant, ask whether the stew and rice are included or charged separately. Freshwater versions may offer dough pieces or noodles as add-ons. Keep a spare bowl for bones.

Read about this dish →

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.

Read about this dish →

Find nearby food places →

Check the restaurant’s actual menu for the dish you want.