Haejang-guk or hangover soup refers to all kinds of guk or soup eaten as a hangover cure in Korean cuisine. It means "soup to chase a hangover" and is also called sulguk. It usually consists of dried Napa cabbage, vegetables and meat in a hearty beef broth. One type of haejangguk, Seonjiguk, includes sliced congealed ox blood and another type, Sundaeguk includes a kind of blood sausage made with intestine stuffed with pig's blood and other ingredients.
History
In the Nogeoldae, a manual for learning spoken Chinese published in the late Goryeo Dynasty, the term seongjutang appears. It means "soup to get sober" and is assumed to be the origin of haejangguk. According to the record, the soup consists of thinly sliced meat, noodles, scallions, and powder of 'cheoncho' in a broth. The composition is same as the basic recipe of a present-day haejangguk. Although haejangguk is not mentioned in cookbooks written during the Joseon, relevant contents can be seen in genre paintings and documents of the late Joseon. In Shin Yun-bok 's painting titled Jumakdo, a scene regarding haejangguk is well depicted. A group of unemployed children of the rich gather to eat haejangguk while a jumo ladles boiling soup out of a cauldron. This dish seemed to be eaten not only by commoners. According to Haedong jukji, poetry collection written by Choe Yeong-nyeon, haejangguk is referred to as hyojonggaeng, which literally means a "dawn bell soup". The book states that the area within Namhansanseong is known for making the soup well. The ingredients for the soup are inner parts of Napa cabbage, and kongnamul, mushrooms, galbi, sea cucumber, and abalone. They are mixed together with tojang and are simmered thoroughly for a day. The cooked soup is then put into a hangari or earthen crock covered with a pad of cotton and sent to Seoul at night. When the dawn bell rings the time, the soup is delivered to a house of high-ranking officials. The hangari is still warm and the soup is very good for relieving hangovers. The record suggests that hyojonggaeng is either the first delivery food to cure a hangover after a banquet held by jaesang was ended or was used as a bribe.
Types
There are various types of haejangguk according to region based on ingredients and recipe that give each variety its own characteristic taste. Haejangguk of the Seoul region is a kind of tojangguk made with kongnamul, radish, napa cabbage, scallions, coagulated ox blood, and tojang in a broth. The broth is prepared by simmering ox bones in a pot with water for hours. The neighborhood of Cheongjin-dong is famous for the Seoul style haejangguk. In the city ofJeonju, people eat "kongnamaul gukbap" as a haejangguk. A little lean kongnamul with the length of an index finger are poached in water diluted with a small amount of salt. Along with the kongnamul, steamed rice, sliced ripe kimchi, scallions and garlic, beef broth, and a small amount of shank are put into a ttukbaegi over heat and the kongnamul broth is poured into it. When the ingredients are boiled, a raw egg is cracked over the soup. Once it is served, a mixture of sesame seeds and salt, scallions, minced garlic, chili pepper, and chili pepper powder, and saeujeot are put into the haejanguk are added according to the diner's taste. It is said that, when eating haejangguk, if the diner drinks a cup of moju made by boiling a fermented mixture of makgeolli, sugar, and wheat flour, the combination would be good to alleviate the hangover. There are also haejangguk with cold soup. On the shore of the East Sea, especially in Uljin County, "ojingeo mulhoe guksu" is eaten as a haejangguk. Finely sliced squid like noodles is mixed with a sauce and cold water is poured over it along with ice cubes.
