Gamjatang is a spicy Korean pork soup. It is made by boiling pork bones for a long time and filtered milky bone broth is infused with special Korean condiments such as Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and Gochujang (Korean chili paste).
The soup is hearty and comforting so it is ideal for cold winter weather. Let’s do it!
Gamjatang (감자탕) is a popular Korean soup. It goes well with a bowl of hot rice to complete a meal (favorite), but some people pair it with Korean alcohol – honey as a snack.
One interesting fact about Gamjatang is its name. Because gamjatang is literally translated as “potato soup” (gamja = potatoes, tang = soup), but the highlight of the soup is actually pork bones.
Even when I ordered a grocery from a grocery store many years ago, I expected to find a soup full of potatoes, not broken bones, that look like freshly cut dinosaurs! (I remember you, I was young and stupid. Lol)
(Although there are some thoughts about its origin of the word, it does not satisfy me, so I will not mention it here.)
However, homemade gamjatang is very budget-friendly (have you ever bought pork bones? Very cheap!) And is considered very nutritious (it’s all about milk broth! It’s said to be good for people with weak bones.). Perhaps that is why it has been popular in Korea for many years!
I originally shared my Gamjatang recipe back in 2007 and it needs to be updated – especially the pictures!
I even visited my local restaurants several times recently to review their gamjatang version in case I missed something in my original recipe.
In short, my reviewed recipe is spicier, but very tasty and earthy! My family loved it even more! So I hope you do too. Ebola has fun!
Gamjatang Systems (Schedules 3 to 4)
Main
1.4 kg / 3 kg pork bone
7 cups water
3 potatoes (500 g / 1.1 kg), peeled and cut into small pieces
6 napa cabbage leaves (300 g / 10 ounces), purified
100 g / 3.5 ounces of bean sprouts, peeled
(If desired) 30 g / 1 ounce of daisy leaves, diluted
(If you like) 6 perilla leaves, slightly cut
(If you like) 2 green peppers, slightly sliced
Delicious vegetables
1 onion (160 g / 5.6 ounces), peeled and halved
30 g / 1 ounce green onion (white portion only)
5 cloves of garlic (30 g / 1 ounce), peeled
1 ginger (5 g / 0.2 ounces), peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp whole black pepper
Base spice (Combine the health in a bowl)
3 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
2 tbsp dongjang (Korean soy sauce)
2 tbsp rice wine
1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 tablespoon Korean fish sauce
1 tbsp water
1 tsp minced ginger
Some sprinkles of black pepper
Other condiments
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp fried sesame seeds or perilla seeds, ground
* 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 cup = 250 ml
** If you want to learn more about Korean recipes, check out my list of 30 essential Korean recipes!
How to make GAMJATANG
Dip pork bones in cold water for at least 1 hour (to remove any excess red fluid that looks like blood). Oprin. (If you can, try changing the water every 15 minutes.)
2. Place the bones in a large pot and add enough water to cover the bones, and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, covered. Drain and wash the bones in running cold water.
Put in a large clean pot the bones and add water (7 cups) and all the ingredients of the category “fragrant vegetables”. Put it on medium to low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes, covered.
4. When the bone broth boils;
(1) Put the potatoes in a separate pot and add enough water to cover them. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are almost cooked (about 90%). Dry and set aside the potatoes until you need.
(2) In a separate pot, add water and salt (1/8 tsp) and bring to a boil. When the water boils quickly, cook the nappa cabbage for 1-2 minutes. Drain and cool the leaves. Tear down the length of each sheet with your hands. (Or you could use a knife to cut them.)
5. Drain the broth (from step 3) with a strainer and keep the broth in a large bowl. Also keep pork bones but discard any spices / vegetables
Transfer the broth to a clean pot (I used my favorite brazier pot) and add the pork chops, potatoes, cabbage leaves, and spice base to the pot. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are completely cooked (10-15 minutes
6. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining vegetables (mung bean sprouts, daisy crown leaves, perilla leaves, and green chillies) and ground sesame seeds to the pot and cook for another 1-2 minutes until softened. Serve warm with hot rice.