Korean blood soup refers to several varieties of haejangguk, a Korean hangover soup, that feature coagulated blood as a key ingredient, often along with hearty beef broth, vegetables, and meat.
While the term "Korean blood soup" may sound specific, it encompasses a few different types of soups, most notably seonjiguk and sundaeguk. Here's a breakdown:
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Seonjiguk: This soup includes sliced congealed ox blood (called seonji), similar in texture to black pudding, adding a rich and savory flavor. It often also contains dried napa cabbage, vegetables, and other cuts of beef in a beef broth base.
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Sundaeguk: This soup features sundae, a type of Korean blood sausage. Sundae is made by stuffing cow or pig intestines with a mixture of pig's blood, cellophane noodles, vegetables, and other ingredients. The sundaeguk includes slices of sundae in a broth, often with other meat and vegetables.
In essence, Korean blood soup is a category of soups that utilizes blood, either in coagulated form or as part of a blood sausage, to create a flavorful and nutritious dish, often consumed as a hangover cure.
