''Sagol'' (), or beef leg bone, is an

ingredient An ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial products contain secret ingredients that are pur ...

in Korean cuisine. Sagol is often boiled to make a broth, called ''sagol-yuksu'' (), or beef leg bone broth, for Korean soups such as ''

gomguk ''Gomguk'' (), ''gomtang'' * (), or beef bone soup refers to a soup in Korean cuisine made with various beef parts such as ribs, oxtail, brisket, ox's head or ox bones by slow simmering on a low flame.galbi-tang ''Galbi-tang'' * (, --湯) or short rib soup is a variety of '' guk'', or Korean soup, made primarily from beef short ribs along with stewing beef, radish, onions, and other ingredients. The short ribs, or ''"galbi"'',also refers to grilled sho ...

'' (short rib soup), ''

tteokguk Tteokguk * () or sliced rice cake soup is a traditional Korean dish eaten during the celebration of the Korean New Year. The dish consists of the broth/soup ('' guk'') with thinly sliced rice cakes (''tteok''). It is tradition to eat ''tteokgu ...

'' (sliced rice cake soup), ''

kal-guksu ''Kal-guksu'' * (; ; ) is a Korean noodle dish consisting of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in a large bowl with broth and other ingredients. It is traditionally considered a seasonal food, consumed most often in summer. Its n ...

'' (noodle soup), or ''

gukbap ''Gukbap'' (), hot soup with rice, is a Korean dish made by putting cooked rice into hot soup or boiling rice in soup. It is commonly served in a ttukbaegi. Whereasoupanricehave been traditionally served separately at tables in Korea, Gukbap me ...

'' (soup with rice). ''Sagol'' is rich in the

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respon ...

collagen and in minerals such as

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

. In traditional Korean culture, it is believed to reinvigorate the body. However, no scientific evidence supports this claim. In the summer, ''sagol-yuksu'' (broth) is served to

pregnant Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...

breastfeeding Breastfeeding, or nursing, is the process by which human breast milk is fed to a child. Breast milk may be from the breast, or may be expressed by hand or pumped and fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that bre ...

mothers and the sick. In the winter, it is served with rice as a warm and nutritious meal.

Etymology

The anglicized translation of the word Sagol roughly translates to Four Bones. 'Sa' meaning four and 'Gol' meaning bone. Together, they refer to the thigh and shin bones of a cow or bull. The term is primarily used in cooking.

Anatomy

Cattle have eight ''sagol'' bones. ''Sagol'' uses the

thigh In human anatomy, the thigh is the area between the hip ( pelvis) and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb. The single bone in the thigh is called the femur. This bone is very thick and strong (due to the high proportion of ...

and

shin bone The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

s from a cow's four legs. ''Sagol'' can be classified by breed (

hanu The Hanwoo ( ko, 한우), also Hanu or Korean Native, is a breed of small cattle native to Korea. It was formerly used as a draught animal, but this use has almost disappeared. It is now raised mainly for meat. It is one of four indigenous Kor ...

beef cattle Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production (as distinguished from dairy cattle, used for milk production). The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef. In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf oper ...

dairy cattle Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species '' Bos taurus''. Historically, little distinction was ma ...

, imported, etc.), sex (

cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species '' Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, incl ...

steer Steer, Steers or Steering may refer to: Animals * Steer or bullock, castrated male cattle * Ox, a steer used as a draft animal People * Steer (surname) * Steers (surname) Places * Steer Creek (West Virginia), a tributary of the Littl ...

, etc.), or

grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance * Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage * Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope Grade or grading may also r ...

. High-grade ''sagol'' from hanu beef with a dense ivory and white bone cross-section is typically preferred. A ''sagol'' consists of one

diaphysis The diaphysis is the main or midsection (shaft) of a long bone. It is made up of cortical bone and usually contains bone marrow and adipose tissue (fat). It is a middle tubular part composed of compact bone which surrounds a central marrow cavity ...

part and two

epiphysis The epiphysis () is the rounded end of a long bone, at its joint with adjacent bone(s). Between the epiphysis and diaphysis (the long midsection of the long bone) lies the metaphysis, including the epiphyseal plate (growth plate). At the ...

parts. The Epiphysis parts have an outer layer of

compact bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...

and an inner layer of

spongy bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...

. The diaphysis contains periostea outside and marrow inside.

References

Food ingredients Korean cuisine Beef {{Korea-cuisine-stub

Etymology

Anatomy

See also

References