[Food]

[Food] Sogogi Muguk (Beef Radish Soup, 소고기무국)

Sogogi muguk (Beef Radish Soup, 소고기무국) is a very typical, plain and popular dish for Koreans. It's more a home-cooked meal than one cooked in a restaurant. Perhaps you'll find sogogi muguk at a casual Korean restaurant. To cook a hot bowl of sogogi muguk, you need some beef and a big piece of radish.

Sogogi muguk is not hard to cook. In fact, it's really easy, so I usually cook it for my family at home within a short period of time. Chop beef and radish into small pieces so you don't choke, and add some soy sauce, spring onions, chopped garlic, salt and pepper. If you are a spicy food lover, you can add spicy red chili powder and bean sprouts, too.

Stir fry chopped beef with some oil in a pot, and throw chopped radish into a pot when the beef is half-cooked. Then pour water into a pot just enough to soak the ingredients in water. You can add more water if you love much soup from beef and radish. When the water boils, put some soy sauce, chopped garlic and spring onions, and put salt and pepper to season the soup.

There are two styles of sogogi muguk; the first one is plain and clean, and the second is Gyeongsang (Southeastern region of Korea) style, which is spicy. Most Korean restaurants and families prefer the clean and plain style because they are easier to cook and eat. Some people don't even know there is Gyeongsang style of sogogi muguk, and that's why people usually eat plain sogogi muguk.

Sogogi muguk tastes better in the winter because Korean radish tastes more sweet and savory in the winter than in summer. Moreover, people think sogogi muguk is more delicious in the winter because no one dislikes hot beef soup in the cold season :)

Sogogi muguk soup is very refreshing and savory, boiled radish is sweet and cooked beef is chewy and soft :) Even children love it too.

Bon Appétit!