[2017-04-21]









With activities to protect and carry forward excellent cultural heritage of the nation gaining momentum in the DPRK, tangogi (dogmeat) soup in Hamgyong Province and starch noodles in Hamhung, specialities of South Hamgyong Province, have been put on the national intangible cultural heritage list.
Koreans particularly like the two dishes.
The locals have promoted the dishes regarding them as the symbol of national foods.
The tangogi soup is one of the traditional foods favoured by the Koreans since olden times. It has been customary for them to have the soup in the hottest period of summer. The soup is widely used for recovering health or recuperation.
In order to prepare the tasty soup, it is important to make sweet broth and its recipe is a little different according to each province.
The tangogi soup in Hamgyong Province is featured by clear meat broth, no impure smell and unusually sweet taste and the soup is not seasoned with soybean paste or soybean sauce, but with salt.
When they boil tangogi, locals add different kinds of spices including Rabdosia japonica var, perilla and lettuce to remove fatty taste. They always start to boil the meat with cold water so as not to discolour the meat. While boiling meat, they make appetizing spices. The spices made of minced tangogi fat, skin and marrow boiled with broth and powdered red pepper add flavour to the taste of the soup.
The starch noodles in Hamhung are made of potato starch.
The potato starch noodles are a well-known speciality which was traditionally cooked in the northern areas of old Hamgyong Province, especially Hamhung, Jangjin and Pujon in South Hamgyong Province, Chongjin in North Hamgyong Province and Hyesan in Ryanggang Province.
They are more glossy and chewier than buckwheat or wheat noodles.
There are no historical records about the origin of the potato starch noodles, but historians estimate the period of their creation at the latter half of the feudal Joson dynasty when potato was introduced into Korea. Historical records say the Musan and Taehongdan areas were the first in cultivating potatoes in the country.
The locals in South Hamgyong Province who had liked hot dishes served the noodles together with spiced soysauce, mustard soysauce and vinegar, thereby developing them into a perfect one.
Spiced soysauce is very eye-catching in the potato starch noodles.
People from other provinces sweat much when they have the food in Hamhung since its spiced soysauce is hot and tingly.
The noodles are so tasty that they are very popular.
The recipes are carried forward by families or through education.
Many households teach their relatives how to prepare the dishes. Their recipes are also included in the curriculums of middle schools and universities in the commercial and public catering fields.
They are also further developed through national cooking festivals and contests.

By Jong Hwa Sun PT