Guk

Guk(국), also sometimes known astang(탕;湯), is a class of soup-like dishes inKorean cuisine.Gukandtangare commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, althoughtangcan sometimes be less watery thanguk.It is one of the most basic components in a Korean meal, along withbap(밥, rice), andbanchan(반찬, side dishes).In Korean table setting,gukis served on the right side ofbap(rice), and left side ofsujeo(수저, a spoon and chopsticks).
Gukis a native Korean word, whiletangis aSino-Korean wordthat originally meant "boiling water" or "soup".Tanghas been used as an honorific term in place ofguk, when it denotes the same meaning asgukas inyeonpo-tang(연포탕, octopus soup),daegu-tang(대구탕, codfish soup), orjogae-tang(조개탕, clam soup).Generally, the names of lighter soups with vegetables are suffixed with-guk, while heavier, thicker soups made with more solid ingredients used injesa(ancestral rites) are often referred to astang.Gamja-guk(potato soup) andgamja-tang(pork back-bone stew) are different dishes; the potato soup can be calledgamjeo-tang.
Gukis largely categorized into four groups of soups, such asmalgeun jangguk(맑은 장국),gomguk(곰국),tojangguk(토장국), and naengguk (냉국).Malgeun janggukliterally means "clear (malgeun, 맑은) soup (guk, 국) seasoned with a condiment (jang, 장)," such asdoenjang(soy bean paste) organjang, and is served in abansang(반상, regular meal table). The main ingredients formalgeun janggukare meat, fish, vegetables, and seafoods.Gomguk, also calledgomtang, refers to either a soup type made by boiling various beef parts such as rib, oxtail, brisket, head, and so forth for a long time, or made with ox bone by the same method. The broth ofgomguktends to have a milky color and to be rich and hearty taste. It can also be made withchickenor pork bone, to producesamgyetangorgamjatang.
Tojanggukare based ondoenjangbroth andssaltteumul(쌀뜨물, leftover water after washing rice for cooking). The taste is usually savory and deep.Naenggukare cold soups usually eaten in summer. These soups are usually clean and tangy, such as withoi naengguk(오이냉국, cold cucumber) andmiyeok naengguk(미역냉국, cold wakame soup).Kkaetguk(깻국, sesame soup), made with chicken and sesame seeds, is thick and serves to replenish and supplement nutrients during hot weather.
Tojanggukare eaten all year round. The term emerged in the 1930s in Korean cookbooks.
Naenggukrefers to all kinds of cold soups, mainly eaten in summer. They are also calledchanguk(literally "cold soup") inpure Koreanwhile the termnaenggukis a combination of aHanjaword and a pure Korean word with the same meaning.The first historical record onnaenggukappears in a poem written byYi Gyu-bo(1168–1241), a high officer of theGoryeoperiod (918–1392).Naenggukis referred to as "sungaeng" in the poem, which literally meanssunchaeguk, soup made withsunchae(Brasenia schreberi). Yi praised its clear and plain taste.
Naenggukis generally divided into two categories according to taste and ingredients. One group ofnaenggukis made by mixing chilled water and vinegar to give a sweet and sour taste; examples includemiyeok naenggukmade withwakame,oi naenggukmade with cucumber,pa naenggukmade with spring onions,nameul naenggukmade with garlic, andgim naenggukmade withgimornori. The other group is made to supplement health and has rich tastes, such as chilled soup made with chicken, sesame, or soy bean.
Gukbap(국밥,Korean pronunciation:[kukp͈ap]) are dishes developed fromguk. The term literally means "soup with rice." The dish is typically served in restaurants, and has become popular among the working class since the lateJoseon Dynasty.