Samcheok Gomchi-guk: How a Fish Once Tossed Back Became the East Coast's Winter Hangover Soup

Gomchi-guk, the winter soup of Samcheok and Donghae in Gangwon, is a clean, peppery kimchi broth with fish so soft you eat it with a spoon. Here is what the "gomchi" really is, why it has different names on each coast, how Samcheok cooks it and how to enjoy it.

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What the Gomchi Really Is

The fish called gomchi or mulgom on Gangwon's east coast is not the gomchi of field guides. The "real" gomchi is the moray eel, a sharp-toothed fish that hides in rock crevices; the fish east-coast people make soup from is a snailfish. A Seoul Shinmun series explains that what is called gomchi or mulgom north of Uljin is the migeoji (Liparis ingens), a member of the snailfish family. The names change by coast, too: gomchi or mulgom on the East Sea, mulmegi on the south coast, and multeombeong on the west coast. With its big round head and soft, floppy body it is no beauty, but its flesh is tender with little fishy smell. It is caught mostly in winter, its spawning season, which is also when it is at its best.

From Throwaway Fish to Prized Soup

For a long time this fish got no respect. Its flesh was thought too soft to be worth anything, and fishermen reportedly considered it bad luck in the net and threw it back or simply discarded it. One explanation of the name multeombeong is that fishermen tossed it back into the water with a splash (teombeong) as soon as they caught it; another says it simply splashes when it falls in, so accounts differ. Its fortunes changed once people began simmering it spicy with aged kimchi. Simmered with aged kimchi, it became the hangover soup of choice among hard-drinking sailors, and many accounts say it became a winter delicacy only relatively recently. Now, because freezing ruins its texture, it must be cooked fresh, and prices swing sharply with the catch, which has made it a prized fish. Some articles also note that a Joseon-era record of fish describes it as mild in flavor and good for recovering from drink.

Samcheok Uses Kimchi: Broths by Region

The broth varies a lot by region. According to a Seoul Shinmun series, southern Gangwon around Samcheok, below Jumunjin, makes it spicy with sour kimchi; northern Gangwon makes a peppery but clear broth with radish and vegetables; and Yeongdeok and Pohang in North Gyeongsang make a mild, clear soup with radish, zucchini or bean sprouts. Mulmegi soup on the south coast is usually clear too, so the kimchi-based Samcheok style is quite distinctive. In Samcheok, freshly caught gomchi is simmered with well-fermented kimchi. Despite the kimchi and chili flakes, most people find it less fiery than it looks: cool, clean and peppery. The flesh melts into the broth and thickens it, so each spoonful brings up soft fish and kimchi together. Even on the east coast every household has its own way, so do not be surprised to find a clear version.

How to Eat It: With a Spoon

This is a dish where the spoon matters more than chopsticks. The flesh is so soft it falls apart if you pick it up, so the trick is to scoop it with the broth and let it slide down. The floppy texture can feel unfamiliar at first, but many say it has so little fishy smell that even people sensitive to fish find it easy to eat. Try the slippery skin and the meat around the bones too. Whether you stir your rice into the soup or eat them separately is up to you. Since it is especially popular as a morning-after hangover soup, some seaside restaurants open early. A bowl costs noticeably more than other hangover soups because only fresh fish is used and prices follow the catch. If the menu says "market price," ask before ordering.

When and Where to Eat It

Gomchi-guk is at its best in winter, from December to March. That is when the fish come inshore to spawn and are caught in numbers, and because the soft flesh suffers when frozen, people say it is best eaten fresh in the cold season. Some places keep it on the menu in summer, but for the real seasonal taste, plan a winter trip. In Samcheok, look for it at the restaurants around Samcheok Port. Since supply depends on that day's catch, places may sell out early, sometimes before lunch is over, and the same goes for days when rough seas keep boats in port. If you really want it, go in the morning or call ahead.

#Gomchi-guk#Snailfish soup#Samcheok#East coast#Hangover soup