Gukbap and Culture
Recently, I have seen a New York Times article about the restaurant named Okdongsik in New York. “Each time an order comes in, a cook behind the counter will place steamed white rice in the bottom of a polished bronze bowl. Pork broth is ladled over the rice, and then a few slices of cooked pork are laid across the surface, along with chopped scallions.” This food is the type of Gukbap, which has been part of Korean culture for a long time.
It is believed that soup began to be eaten in the late Joseon Dynasty, when commerce and industry developed. As money became more established in the local village society, restaurants with Gukbap could be found more frequently. Especially in Seoul, several Janggukbap restaurants began to open.
Janggukbap is a food that uses soy sauce or miso to season the soup, and while other local soups are vegetable soups cooked with siraegi, this soup uses a lot of meat. In particular, a very famous Janggukbap restaurant was 'Mugyo Tangban'. It was said to be so delicious that King Heonjong, the 24th king of Joseon, often came in and out of the restaurant changing his clothes.
However, the popularity of Janggukbap did not last long. Seolleongtang, which was considered a dish for people of low status, gained popularity during the Japanese occupation because of its distinctive, savory, and hearty taste. Janggukbap slowly faded into obscurity as it lost out to Seolleongtang's popularity. After the liberation of Korea, however, regional soups such as Gyeongsangbuk-do pork soup and Jeonju bean sprout soup began to gain popularity as supplies became more plentiful. Today, there are different types of Gukbap in each city, representing different cities’ cultures.
Recently, I have seen a New York Times article about the restaurant named Okdongsik in New York. “Each time an order comes in, a cook behind the counter will place steamed white rice in the bottom of a polished bronze bowl. Pork broth is ladled over the rice, and then a few slices of cooked pork are laid across the surface, along with chopped scallions.” This food is the type of Gukbap, which has been part of Korean culture for a long time.
It is believed that soup began to be eaten in the late Joseon Dynasty, when commerce and industry developed. As money became more established in the local village society, restaurants with Gukbap could be found more frequently. Especially in Seoul, several Janggukbap restaurants began to open.
Janggukbap is a food that uses soy sauce or miso to season the soup, and while other local soups are vegetable soups cooked with siraegi, this soup uses a lot of meat. In particular, a very famous Janggukbap restaurant was 'Mugyo Tangban'. It was said to be so delicious that King Heonjong, the 24th king of Joseon, often came in and out of the restaurant changing his clothes.
However, the popularity of Janggukbap did not last long. Seolleongtang, which was considered a dish for people of low status, gained popularity during the Japanese occupation because of its distinctive, savory, and hearty taste. Janggukbap slowly faded into obscurity as it lost out to Seolleongtang's popularity. After the liberation of Korea, however, regional soups such as Gyeongsangbuk-do pork soup and Jeonju bean sprout soup began to gain popularity as supplies became more plentiful. Today, there are different types of Gukbap in each city, representing different cities’ cultures.
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