Never Heard of Gusalguk? GYULI Grew Up Eating This Every Summer for Strength
simmered clear with seaweed, they say
Jeju is home to several soups passed down as local dishes — momguk, made by simmering pork broth with mozaban seaweed, and bomal-guk, made from sea snails gathered off the tidal rocks, among them. The soup introduced today, seonggyeguk — also called gusalguk on Jeju — is said to be made from an entirely different ingredient. It's a soup built around sea urchin, known in Jeju dialect as 'gusal.' Rather than a rich, thick broth like momguk, it's said to be simmered clear together with seaweed, giving it a different color and texture from the start. Some places are said to use sea urchin hand-gathered by haenyeo divers, and it's said that Jeju locals turn to this soup as a summertime dish for restoring strength. Today, let's take a slow look at how seonggyeguk is passed down on Jeju.
So What Kind of Soup Is Gusalguk, Exactly?
Seonggyeguk's key ingredients are said to come down to two things: sea urchin and seaweed. The orange-yellow roe of the sea urchin is picked out and added to clear water or anchovy broth, along with soaked seaweed, and simmered together, according to tradition. Where momguk is built around the rich savoriness of pork broth, seonggyeguk is said to focus on the opposite — keeping the broth clear while letting the sea urchin's subtle sweetness and aroma come through. It's often seasoned lightly with soy sauce, and many say keeping the seasoning minimal is what lets the sea urchin's natural flavor shine.
The color of the broth also sets it apart from momguk or bomal-guk. While momguk is known for its brown color and bomal-guk for its deep green tint from the sea snail's innards, seonggyeguk is said to stand out for its clear broth dotted with soft clusters of golden sea urchin roe. Tender seaweed mixed throughout is said to make for a dish that looks as good as it tastes, with a broth many describe as refreshingly light. The roe does add a slight thickness as it breaks apart in the broth, but nowhere near as thick as momguk, according to those familiar with it.
They say the hard part of seonggyeguk isn't adding more to the broth — it's making the flavor work with just sea urchin and seaweed alone.
— 🍊 GYULIWhy It's Said to Be a Summertime Dish for Restoring Strength
Seonggyeguk is said to be a soup Jeju locals turn to in summer to restore their strength. When the heat saps your appetite or energy, a bowl of clear, cool broth is said to settle the stomach, and its light, mild seasoning is said to make it easy to eat without feeling heavy. It's hard to say this soup is eaten only during this particular season, but it's said to have long been passed down as a soup for easing a body worn down by the heat.
Seaweed, too, is regarded as an ingredient said to be good for the body. Together, sea urchin roe and seaweed are said to bring not just savoriness but a broth that settles the stomach — a story passed down for a long time. That said, these claims about its benefits are only what's been passed down by word of mouth, so it's best understood not by weighing hard evidence, but simply as a summer soup Jeju locals have long made a point of eating.
Gusal, Said to Be Hand-Gathered by Haenyeo Divers
The sea urchin used in seonggyeguk is said to often be hand-gathered by haenyeo divers themselves. They're said to dive deep into the waters off Jeju, gathering sea urchins one by one by hand, then carefully splitting open the spiny shells to pick out just the golden roe inside. Since each sea urchin yields only a small amount of roe, simmering even a single pot of soup is said to require considerable care and labor — which is why seonggyeguk is known as a labor-intensive dish to prepare.
Sea urchin is said to be called 'gusal' in Jeju dialect, which is why the soup is often called gusalguk. Just as 'mom' in momguk refers to mozaban seaweed and 'bomal' refers to sea snails, 'gusal' is said to be a name Jeju locals have long used on their own. These days, more travelers are said to be seeking out seonggyeguk as well, but like the other soups, it isn't the secret specialty of any one place — it's a dish carried on in its own way by local eateries and households across Jeju. The amount of seaweed and how the broth is seasoned are said to vary slightly from kitchen to kitchen, so no single bowl can really claim to capture all of seonggyeguk.
GYULI's Tip · Seonggyeguk is said to lose its distinct sea urchin aroma and sweetness quickly once it cools. Since the seaweed also tends to turn soft if left too long, it's best enjoyed warm, right after it's simmered.