As a new year rolls in, how about trying something adventurous with your palate? Korean stews are delicious and hearty. Those of you who’ve tried different kinds of Korean stew know what I’m talking about!

삼계탕 is a Korean version of chicken soup. The entire chicken is boiled in a broth consisting of ginseng, dates, ginger, salt, pepper, green onions and garlic. The broth is considered healthy and commonly consumed in the summer. 삼계탕 is thought to lower body temperature and replace nutrients in the body. The soup is sometimes mixed with rice.

설렁탕 is a broth made from boiling ox bones for several hours. (The actual ox bones are not consumed.) The broth is seasoned with salt, pepper, and green onions. 설렁탕 has a milky white appearance. People say that 설렁탕 was created to feed the poor sector of the Joseon era population. 설렁탕 was deemed a success because it contained the least amount of ingredients, but was yet, still tasty.

매운탕 is a spicy fish soup. In restaurants, customers can chose the fish from a fish tank. After the fish is selected, it is cut into three or four pieces and prepared in a soup mixed with red chili pepper paste, ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, soy sauce, green onions, and water. Sometimes shellfish like clams and crabs are added to the soup as well. The popular varieties of fish include cod, trout, red snappers and sea bass.

감자탕 is pork bone soup. The spine of the pig has bits of meat, which is boiled to soften the meat. The soup consists of red chili pepper paste, green onions, and seasame seeds. 감자탕 was first made popular in Incheon (Korea’s third largest metropolis). 감자탕 was an inexpensive way to get the fat and calories needed by the Incheon laborers. Pork was also cheaper than beef, which made 감자탕 ideal for these laborers.