Jaecheop-guk (재첩국 (Jaecheop-guk))
Overview
Jaecheop-guk is a clear Korean soup made with jaecheop, tiny freshwater clams no larger than a fingernail that live in the sandy beds of rivers near the sea. The clams are soaked in water to spit out their sand, rinsed, and put into cold water, which is brought slowly to the boil until the shells open and the broth turns a milky pale grey. The clams are lifted out, their meat is picked from the shells and the broth is left to settle so any sand sinks. The clear broth is poured off, seasoned with salt and minced garlic and brought back to the boil with the clam meat, then finished with chopped garlic chives or spring onion.
History
The soup is a specialty of the lower reaches of the Nakdong River near Busan and of the Seomjin River at Hadong, where jaecheop are raked from the riverbed. In Busan, vendors used to carry pots of jaecheop-guk through the streets at dawn, calling out to sell it, and the soup is still eaten at breakfast and the morning after a night of drinking. Jaecheop from the Seomjin River are a well-known product of Hadong county.
Main ingredients
Jaecheop clams, garlic chives, garlic, spring onion, salt. The soup is built on milky-pale clear clam broth and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Fish and seafood soups · More soups from South Korea
Recipe
Method
- 11 h
Soak the clams in salted water for 1 hour so they spit out sand, then rinse.
- 2
Put them in 1.5 l cold water and bring slowly to the boil until they open.
- 3
Lift out the clams, pick out the meat and let the broth settle.
- 4
Pour the clear broth into a clean pan, add the garlic and salt and bring to the boil.
- 51 min
Add the clam meat and garlic chives, cook for 1 minute and serve.
- ✓
Serve. About 50 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
