''Chueo-tang'' () or loach soup is a Korean ''
tang'' (soup) that prominently features
pond loach, a freshwater fish.
[
*] The city of
Namwon
Namwon (, ) is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 50 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is almost three hours away from Seoul. The official city flower is Royal Azalea () while the city tree is the ...
in southwestern South Korea is known for its version of the dish.
Etymology
''Chueo'' () is a nickname for
pond loach, called ''mikkuraji'' () in Korean. ''
Tang'' () means soup.
History and tradition
As irrigated rice paddies are drained after ''
chubun'' (autumnal equinox), chubby pond loaches, ready for hibernation, are easily caught in the ditches dug around paddy fields.
''Chueo-tang'' () is often a featured dish in banquets for the elderly.
In
Hanyang (now Seoul) during the
Joseon
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
era, the guild of licensed
panhandlers mandated that its members beg only for ''
bap
BAP or bap may refer to:
Food
* Bap (bread), a bread roll
* Bap (rice dish), of Korea
People
* Bap Kennedy (1962–2016), Northern Irish singer-songwriter
* Bronze Age Pervert, Romanian-American right-wing writer and podcaster
Music
* BAP (Germa ...
'' (cooked rice), not ''
banchan
''Banchan'' ( ; ; ) are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. ''Banchan'' are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as ''galbi'' or ''bulg ...
'' (side dishes) or ''
guk'' (soup).
(The practice was intended to maintain dignity and differentiate members from unlicensed beggars.) As an accompaniment to the rice, Panhandlers hunted pond loaches and made ''chueo-tang.'' They were also granted the exclusive rights to sell ''chueo-tang'' in the city.
The third-oldest operating restaurant in Seoul,
Yonggeumok,
specializes in the Seoul style of the dish. In the Seoul style, the fish are served whole, and the soup base uses
chili pepper flakes instead of ''
gochujang
''Gochujang'' or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from '' gochugaru'' (red chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' (barley m ...
''.
Preparation
Pond loaches are boiled in water until very tender, and sieved to remove bones and skins.
The sieved flesh along with beef or chicken broth is then boiled again and seasoned with
gochujang
''Gochujang'' or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from '' gochugaru'' (red chili powder), glutinous rice, '' meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' (barley m ...
(chili paste), ''
doenjang
''Doenjang''
* () or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine used in Korean cuisine. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish.
History
The earliest soyb ...
'' (soybean paste), grated ginger, and ground black pepper.
Vegetable ingredients include
mung bean sprout
Mung bean sprouts are a culinary vegetable grown by sprouting mung beans. They can be grown by placing and watering the sprouted beans in the shade until the hypocotyls grow long. Mung bean sprouts are extensively cultivated and consumed in East ...
s,
Asian royal fern,
scallion
Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...
s,
napa cabbages, and
mustard greens.
The soup is often served with ground
chopi peppercorns, along with
Korean mint leaves (in
Yeongnam
Yeongnam (, ; literally "south of the ridge") is a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province, one of the ancient Eight Provinces, in what is now South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a countr ...
region) or
perilla powder (in
Honam
Honam (; literally "south of the lake") is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, Jeju Province and Jeonbuk State. The name "Jeonla-do" is used i ...
region).
See also
* ''
Dojō nabe'', Japanese pond loach stew
*
List of soups
References
{{reflist, 30em
Korean fish dishes
Korean soups and stews