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As everyone knows, when its cold outside, one of the best ways to warm up is to eat hot foods! Well in Korea, one of the foods that everyone turns to in just this sort of occasion is gamjatang. 

"Gamjatang" (also known as gamjaguk) literally translates to potato soup, but its primary ingredients are pork bones and potatoes. The soup also contains greens, garlic, green onions, sesame leaves and ground perilla seeds, and spices to create a rich, strong and spicy flavored broth.

 

Left) Gamjatang pork bones!
Right) Pot of gamjatang as it is sent out to the diner's table!

There aren't any historical documents or records about gamjatang, but they say that it began during the Samguk Era (the period of the Three Kingdoms). Back then there was a part of Korea (which is now present day Jeolla-do) that was famous for raising pigs rather than cattle, and used pork bones instead of ox bones to create a delicious savory broth. This style of cooking soon became popular throughout the country.  
  
But the introduction of potatoes to this broth came about during the late Joseon Dynasty. With the opening of Incheon Harbor, people from all over the country flocked to Incheon, which led to a blending of different food cultures from which popular food trends were started. In 1899 many laborers were mobilized in Incheon due to the start of construction of the Gyeongin Line, the first railway line built on the Korean peninsula that connected Incheon to Seoul, and gamjatang became Incheon's most representative dish. Cheap and hearty meals were popular among people who did hard, physical labor, and with gamjatang's pork bones, radish leaves and potatoes, you can imagine it quickly became a very popular dish. 

Gamjatang continues to be a popular dish in present times, and not only with laborers but with people of all ages.

   

Entrance to Eungam-dong Gamjaguk Alley



At the Gamjaguk Alley in Eungam-dong, gamjatang is referred to as "gamjaguk". Although "tang" and "guk" both mean stew or soup, "tang" is the honorific form of "guk", and as such the restaurants in this alley prefer to call the dish "gamjaguk" instead of "gamjatang" because it has a more friendly ring to it. However, the term "gamjatang" is used on most occasions. 
 



Owners of the first gamjaguk restaurant in the alley, "Daerim Gamjaguk" (대림 감자국)


This restaurant was featured in a Japanese newspaper so many Japanese tourists come flocking here.




The main ingredient in gamjatang is pork which is naturally greasy, but because gamjatang comes with so much of it, one of the most important factors in making a delicious bowl of gamjatang is to remove any excess greasy or fatty smells. All of the gamjatang restaurants in this alley only use pork that they get fresh from the butcher's to ensure that the meat does not give off any greasy smells to begin with and instead provide deep flavors. The meat is soaked in cold water for about an hour to draw the blood out and then cooked with various medicinal herbs for about five hours to create a rich, flavorful broth and cooked chunks of tender meat.

   

 Gamjatang cooking process




Lots of juicy, tender meat on every bone!



Usually gamjatang is made with the outer leaves of cabbages, but the restaurants in this alley use fresh cabbage leaves instead. Ample amounts of juicy, tender meat cover every pork bone. They say that the best way to enjoy gamjatang is to hold the meat with your fingers and sucking off each tender morsel of meat off of every bone. As you can imagine, it doesn't look pretty, so it's best to enjoy a bowl of gamjatang with people you are close with, or not afraid to look that way in front of! In other words, not on a first date!  


As for the potatoes, the best way to enjoy the soft, delicious potatoes in gamjatang is to get some with your spoon along with some of the broth!



 

After you've finished eating all of the gamjatang, you can add some ramen or rice to the leftover broth. If you opt for the rice, you can add some kongnamul (bean sprouts) and stir-fry it all up together for a delicious second meal!  


 Add kongnamul, kimchi, gimgaru, etc. to make bokkeumbap!



Be sure to cook up some ramyeon in the leftover broth for even more deliciousness!




So when it's cold out and you want to warm yourself up with some hot, bubbly stew, try some delicious gamjatang!

How to Get There

Take subway line 6 to Saejeol Station and go out exit 2. Walk straight for about 280 meters and you'll see Wasangyo (Bridge). Cross over the bridge and make an immediate right into the alley. Turn into the first alley on your left and go straight. You should see the sign to the food alley.

 

 

A Daerim Gamjaguk (대림감자국): 02-306-6535
B Bulmat Gamjaguk (불맛감자국): 02-307-5005
C Sigol Gamjaguk (시골감자국): 02-302-8484
D Ewha Gamjaguk (이화감자국): 02-307-4723
E Janggun Gamjaguk (장군감자국): 02-307-9379

Hours : Most restaurants are open 24/7

Prices : Gamjatang : Small 22,000 won / Medium 30,000 won / Large 33,000 won / X-Large 43,000 won
(These prices are just an estimate. Every restaurant is different)



Nearby Attractions

 

Bulgwangcheon (Stream): Bulgwangcheon is a stream that flows through Bulgwang-dong. The stream was completely renovated for the 2002 World Cup, and 2007 saw the launch of the Public Art Project, which led to the creation of dazzling spectacles along sections of the stream. See more>>	Seoul World Cup Stadium: Built for the Korea-Japan 17th World Cup in 2002, the Seoul World Cup Stadium features other facilities in addition to the main stadium including the World Cup Mall, a concert hall, a giant discount store, a cinema and the World Cup Memorial Hall. It is also home to the K-League (Korean football league) and the football club, FC Seoul. See more>>	World Cup Park: World Cup Park is an ecological park built to commemorate the 2002 Korea Japan World Cup and the new millennium. World Cup Park was once one of Seoul's landfills. World Cup Park is divided into 5 smaller parks: Pyeonghwa Park, Haneul Park, Noeul Park, Nanji Park and Nanjicheon Park. See more>>