Maeuntang (Maeun-tang)

Overview

Maeuntang is a hot and spicy Korean fish soup. A whole fish, often cod, pollock, croaker or sea bass, is cut into pieces with the head and bones and simmered in water or anchovy stock with slices of Korean radish. Red chilli flakes, chilli paste, garlic and ginger turn the broth deep red and fiery. Cubes of tofu, courgette, green chilli and spring onion go in near the end, and a handful of crown daisy or water dropwort adds a fresh, herbal note. The broth is clean and peppery rather than heavy, and it is shared from a pot in the middle of the table with rice.

History

The name simply means spicy soup. Fish soups have long been eaten along the Korean coasts and rivers, and maeuntang became a classic way to use the head, bones and leftovers after the best fish was eaten raw as hoe. In Korean raw fish restaurants it is still common to have the rest of the fish made into maeuntang at the end of the meal. Freshwater versions use catfish or other river fish.

Main ingredients

White fish, radish, tofu, gochugaru and gochujang, crown daisy, spring onion. The soup is built on spicy fish broth and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; not usually gluten-free.

Explore: Fish and seafood soups · More soups from South Korea

Recipe

4Serves

50 min20 prep · 30 cook

~260kcal / serving

MediumDifficulty

Method

1. 1
   10 min

   Simmer the radish in the stock for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Stir in the chilli flakes, chilli paste, garlic and ginger.

3. 3
   10 min

   Add the fish and simmer for 10 minutes without stirring too much.

4. 4
   5 min

   Add the tofu, courgette and green chilli and cook for 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Top with crown daisy and spring onion and serve from the pot.

6. ✓

   Serve. About 50 min from start to bowl.

Sources

• Maeun-tang (Wikipedia)

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.