Play-with-Korea

These days, as the weather gets chillier, we start to crave hot food. Hot seolleongtang is an invigorating food that will give you strength.
Seolleongtang is made by boiling down a cow’s bones, feet, head, internal organs, beef brisket, and beef shank. Thus, it is rich in protein and calcium. Seolleongtang is inexpensive and has long been very popular with Koreans.

The origins of Seolleongtang can be traced to the ceremony, which the king and his retainers in Spring, to honor the god of farming. The ceremony was held at Seonnongdan, outside of Dongdaemun in Seoul. During the ceremony a cow would be killed in sacrificial offering, and afterwards this cow would be made into a soup. The word “seolleongtang” stems from Seonnongtang, which means soup boiled at Seonnongdan. Later, the word seonnongtang evolved into seolleongtang.
Seolleongtang has a remarkably thick taste, due to the long time it takes to boil. Compared to gomtang, seolleongtang has more bones in it. It is made by boiling bones and soaking a milky soup out of the bone marrow. You need to add salt or pepper powder when eating. Seolleongtang tastes more delicious with ripe kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi).
Hot seolleongtang with rice and kkakdugi is a delicious meal that will warm you up in the cold winter.