When I was young, I had a difficult time understanding why adults used to say, “Wow, it is cool!” as they drink hot soup. How could they possibly feel “cool” while taking in a spoonful of heated broth of haejangguk, or hangover soup, that still boils and sizzles inside the pot right up to the moment it reaches their mouths? I was extremely curious. But these days, I also shout as I have a pot of haejangguk that settles a complicated stomach at once in the aftermath of a binge-drinking night, “Whoa, my stomach feels so much better now. It feels cool!” It seems like I have reached that point in my life at which I fully understand the coolness of haejangguk.

Many different types of haejangguk can be cooked depending on the ingredients used, including bean sprouts, animal bones, dried Pollack, and blood cake, so there are many who enjoy a pot of haejangguk even if they do not like to drink. If you are a fan of haejangguk, you probably have heard much about Yangpyeong.

During the days of Joseon, the region of Gyeonggi-do where the greatest number of cows were raised was Yangpyeong, which is why the area developed haejangguk that primarily uses cows’ intestines and blood as main ingredients, and the great taste of Yangpyeong haejangguk was known by those who live in Hanyang, the capital. As haejangguk of this specific region became famous, restaurants with the name of “Yangpyeong Haejangguk” began to pop up in great numbers throughout the country.

Boasting a 25-year tradition, Yangpyeong Jangteo Haejangguk is well known for haejangguk even in Yangpyeong and everyone in the region knows of this place. The special recipe of the restaurant lies in the beef leg bone broth, which is boiled with oak wood fire and adds a variety of medicinal herbs such as angelica roots, milk vetch roots, cinnamon, and Chinese matrimony vines. This valuable, restorative-like soup is boiled for 24 hours, and thus smoke continues to come out of the chimney, which is connected to the iron pots.

Haejangguk at Jangteo Haejangguk is made by boiling the beef leg bone broth with addition of blood cake, compound leaves, sheet meat, and bean sprouts among others, and also features pepper oil and pepper seeds to give a spicy but “cool” taste. The fundamentals of the broth seem to be solid since there is no strange smell despite the addition of blood cake.

After clearing the last ounce of the soup, what is written on the menu board in front of me caught my attention.

It says that the medicinal haejangguk and seolleongtang, or ox bone soup, of this restaurant is great for hangover cure, cleansing of the blood, removal of toxic substances in the body, fresh blood effect, prevention of osteoporosis for women and calcium deficiency for children.

I think my body feels a bit lighter today after giving my body a small, healthy luxury.

Written and photos by Kim Sun-joo

Website https://0317718906.modoo.at/

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