 The dish (closest to camera) | |
| Type | Guksu |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Korea |
| Region or state | Jeju island |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 고기국수 |
| RR | gogiguksu |
| MR | kogiguksu |
| IPA | [ko.ɡi.ɡuk̚.s͈u] |
Gogi-guksu (Jejuan: 돗괴기국수;[1]Korean: 고기국수;lit. [pork] meat noodles) is a regional dish ofJeju Province (Jeju Island), South Korea. It is a pork-based wheat noodle soup, served with sliced pork and garnishes likechives.
The dish is a relatively recent invention, having developed during and after the 1910–1945Japanese colonial period.[2][3][4] It achieved popularity beginning in the late 1990s, and has since become a dish widely associated with Jeju.[2][3][4]
Its qualities notably differ depending on the restaurant it is served in. The noodles can either be thick or thin, or even be typical Japaneseramen noodles. The broth is generally described as "light" or "clean", with various techniques and ingredients used to achieve this effect.
The dish combines elements of Japanese andJeju culinary traditions. Wheat noodles, a key ingredient ingogi-guksu, were not widely consumed in Jeju before the 1910–1945Japanese colonial period.[2][3] There are even no known written or oral records of wheat noodles being consumed in Jeju before this period (although there are records ofbuckwheat noodles being consumed on special occasions).[3][4] Wheat noodles arrived to Jeju from Japan.[2][3] However, they were still rarely consumed by most people and seen as a delicacy.[2][3] It was not until afterSouth Korea's rapid economic development that noodles became popular.[2][3] On the other hand, pork-based broths have been popular in Jeju for much longer,[1][2] and have notably been a traditional wedding food.[1][3]
During the 1945–1953United States occupation of Korea andKorean War periods, the United States provided a significant quantity of wheat to the island for food aid, which possibly introduced wheat noodles to the wider population and spurred the development of the dish.[4] The exact chronology of the dish's development is unknown, but it is likely that it developed organically in the decades following the colonial period, as noodles were intuitively added to the popular pork broths, and as sliced pork paired nicely with the pork broth.[3] Correspondingly, there is a wide variety of styles of the dish on the island.[3]
The popularity of the dish began in earnest beginning around the 1990s. In 1995, there was only one restaurant that served the dish. It saw high demand during the1997 Asian financial crisis, which led other noodle businesses to open on the same street. The dish has remained popular throughout Jeju since.[2]
One restaurant with the longest claim to the dish isSamdae Jeontong Gogi-guksu (삼대전통고기국수;lit. three generations traditional gogi-guksu), which is located inJeju City and has specialized in the dish and been family-owned for three generations.[3] One street nearSamseonghyeol is known for selling the dish.[1] On the 11th of each month, there may be a small discount on the dish at some restaurants. This is because the number 11 looks like noodles.[2]
While the dish is mostly consumed in Jeju, it has also been sold in a Jeju specialty restaurant inSingapore calledJeju Sanghoe.[5][6] A news article reported that a restaurant inSeoul also served the dish.[7]
Many aspects of the dish vary depending on which restaurant it is served in.[4] Generally, the soup base is made usingdoenjang (fermented soybean paste), pork meat or bones, and various grated flavorants, such asKorean radish,garlic, andginger. The broth is boiled for a long time to bring the flavors out.[1][3][4]
One characteristic preferred by some people is how "clean" or "light" some broths can taste.[3][4][5] Some restaurants intentionally try to achieve this effect with various culinary techniques and ingredients.[3][4]
Even the types and qualities of noodles used in the dish differ. Restaurants use both thick and thin noodles, with varying chewiness. Some people, seeing many similarities between the dish and Japaneseramen, prefer ramen noodles in the dish.[4]
Media related toGogi-guksu at Wikimedia Commons
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