''Chueo-tang'' () or loach soup is a ''

tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

'' (soup) made from

pond loach The pond loach (''Misgurnus anguillicaudatus''), also known as the Dojo loach or oriental weatherfish, is a freshwater fish in the loach family Cobitidae. They are native to East Asia but are also popular as an aquarium fish and introduced else ...

, a freshwater fish. * The southwestern Korean city of

Namwon Namwon (; ''Namwon-si'') 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 tr ...

is known for its version of the dish.

Etymology

''Chueo'' () is a nickname for

, called ''mikkuraji'' () in Korean. ''

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

'' () 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'' (추어탕) is often a featured dish in banquets for the elderly. In

Hanyang Hanyang may refer to: China *Hanyang District (漢陽區, 汉阳区, ''Hànyáng Qū''), Wuhan, Hubei :*Hanyang Arsenal (漢陽兵工廠), founded in 1891 as one of the oldest modern arsenals in Chinese history :*Hanyang 88 (漢陽八八式步槍), ...

(now Seoul) during the Joseon era, the guild of licensed panhandlers mandated that its members beg only for ''

bap BAP or bap may refer to: Food * Bap (bread), a type of bread roll * Bap (rice dish), a Korean food Music * BAP (Basque band), a hardcore punk group (formed 1984) * BAP (German band), a Colognian rock group (formed 1976) * B.A.P (South Korean ban ...

'' (cooked rice), not ''

banchan ''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish o ...

'' (side dishes) or ''

guk ''Guk'' (), also sometimes known as ''tang'' (), is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. ''Guk'' and ''tang'' are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although ''tang'' can sometimes be less watery than ...

'' (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.

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 (chili paste), ''

doenjang ''Doenjang'' * (; "thick sauce") or soybean paste is a type of fermented bean paste made entirely of soybean and brine. It is also a byproduct of soup soy sauce production. It is sometimes used as a relish. History The earliest soybean fer ...

'' (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 Eas ...

s, Asian royal fern,

scallion Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus '' Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, c ...

napa cabbage Napa cabbage (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''pekinensis'' or ''Brassica rapa'' Pekinensis Group) is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has als ...

s, and

mustard greens ''Brassica juncea'', commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant. Cultivar ''Brassica juncea'' cultivars can be divided into four major subgroups ...

. The soup is often served with ground

chopi Chopi may refer to: * Chopi people, an ethnic group of Mozambique * Chopi language, a Bantu language spoken along the southern coast of Mozambique * Chopi blackbird (''Gnorimopsar chopi''), a bird of family Icteridae * A spice made from ''Zanthoxy ...

peppercorns, along with Korean mint leaves (in

Yeongnam Yeongnam (Hangul: 영남, ; literally "south of the passes") is a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea. The region includes the modern-day provinces of North and South Gyeongsang and the self-go ...

region) or

perilla ''Perilla'' is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species ''Perilla frutescens'' and a few wild species in nature belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus encompasses several distinct varieties of Asian herb, seed, and veget ...

powder (in Honam region). Chueotang chopi (Zanthoxylum piperitum) deulkkae (Perilla frutescens) buchu (Allium tuberosum).jpg, ''Chueo-tang'' served with ground

, ground

seeds, and garlic chives

References

{{reflist, 30em Fish dishes Korean soups and stews

Etymology

History and tradition

Preparation

See also

References