''Sungeo-guk'' () is a variety of ''

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 ...

'', or

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

soup, made with

flathead grey mullet The flathead grey mullet (''Mugil cephalus'') is an important food fish species in the mullet family Mugilidae. It is found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Its length is typically . It is known with numerous English names ...

and

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...

. It has a clear broth seasoned with salt, minced garlic, ginger juice and chopped

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 ...

s. During ancient times, the flathead grey mullet caught in

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

, Chungsan, Anju, Kangso, Ryonggang, Chongju, Kasan,

Sunchon Sunch'ŏn () is a city in South Pyongan province, North Korea. It has a population of 297,317, and is home to various manufacturing plants. The city is on the Taedong River. History In 1413, the name of the city became Sunchon, due to a renam ...

Cholsan Ch'ŏlsan County is a ''kun'', or county, in North P'yŏngan province, North Korea. It occupies the Ch'ŏlsan Peninsula, which juts into the Yellow Sea. Ch'ŏlsan borders Yŏmju and Tongrim counties to the north, and is bounded on all other si ...

and

Uiju Ŭiju County is a kun, or county, in North Pyongan Province, North Korea. The county has an area of 420 km², and a population of 110,018 (2008 data). Name Ŭiju appears as Uiju in South Korea's Revised Romanization and as Yizhou in Chinese ...

, which are now in

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

, were famous for their flavor. Those from the

Taedong River The Taedong River (Chosŏn'gŭl: ) is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o.Suh, Dae-Sook (1987) "North Korea in 1986: Strengthenin ...

, where flathead grey mullet are abundant, were especially renowned. The soup dish is a representative dish in the cuisine of North Korean capital

, where the soup is called ''Taedonggang sungeoguk,'' which means "flathead grey mullet soup from the Taedong River". The dish is served as a courtesy for important guests visiting Pyongyang and the question, "How was the flathead grey mullet soup?" is commonly used to greet people returning from Pyongyang.

Role in Korean cuisine

Flathead grey mullet is mentioned in the Joseon era ichthyology book ''Jasaneobo'' (hangul:자산어보, hanja:玆山魚譜) as a fish of exceptional taste and nutritional value. Flathead grey mullet is used in various dishes: grilled, steamed, in ''

jjigae ''Jjigae'' (Korean: 찌개, ) is a Korean stew. There are many varieties; it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with ''gochujang'' (red chilli paste), ''doenjang'' (soy bean paste), ''ganjang'' (soy sauce) or ...

'', with noodles, as '' jeon'' and '' hoe''. Flathead grey mullet dishes such as ''sungeojjim'' (steamed flathead grey mullet) are served for special occasions. The taste of flathead grey mullet is slightly different from season to season. Flathead grey mullet caught in spring and winter has a sweet taste, summer flathead grey mullet is tasteless, and autumn flathead grey mullet tastes fatty and savory.

Preparation

The scales, head, internal organs, and fins of a mullet are removed. Once the fish is cleaned, it is chopped into 5 cm pieces. Fillets and peppercorns are put into a pot with boiling water and the foam is skimmed from the broth. As the mullet is cooked, it is seasoned with salt, minced garlic and ginger juice. The soup is served in a bowl garnished with chopped scallions or sometimes with

cilantro Coriander (;

References

{{Reflist Korean soups and stews North Korean cuisine Fish dishes

Role in Korean cuisine

Preparation

See also

References