Korean Cuisine

Eomuk Soup (Fish Cake Soup)

Name: Eomuk Soup (Fish Cake Soup)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 L water; 10 large dried anchovies, heads and intestines removed; 1 piece dried kelp (about 10 cm square); 100 g mu (Korean radish) or daikon, cut into 2 to 3 large pieces; 15 ml soy sauce; 5 g fine salt, or to taste; 5 ml mirin or rice wine; 300 g eomuk (Korean fish cake sheets), rinsed briefly with hot water; null Wooden skewers (about 6 to 8); 2 scallions, thinly sliced; null Pinch of black pepper; null Soy sauce; null Korean mustard (gyeoja)

Skewered fish cakes simmered in a clear, warming anchovy and kelp broth

koreansoupfish-cakeeomukstreet-foodanchovykelplightwarming

Jump to Recipe

The broth is the first pleasure, clear and golden, tasting of the sea in the cleanest possible way. You lift a skewer of fish cake from the liquid, the thin, folded sheets wobbling gently, and take a bite that is soft, slightly chewy, and infused with the broth it has been simmering in. This is eomuk-guk, one of Korea's most comforting and least complicated soups, and a fixture of street stalls and home kitchens alike.

Eomuk, sometimes called odeng (from the Japanese oden, reflecting a shared culinary history), is processed fish cake made from white fish paste, formed into sheets, tubes, or sticks. It is a humble ingredient, but in a well-made broth, it becomes something genuinely wonderful. At Korean street stalls, eomuk skewers stand upright in large pots of bubbling broth, and customers pull a skewer, dip it in soy sauce, and sip the hot broth from paper cups on cold days. It is often sold alongside tteokbokki, and the combination of the sweet-spicy rice cakes with the mild, soothing fish cake soup is one of Korean street food's great pairings.

What this soup delivers is gentle, warming nourishment. There is no chili, no fermented paste, no complexity. Just a clean anchovy and kelp broth with the subtle sweetness of Korean radish and the mild, seafood-forward flavor of the fish cake. It is the kind of soup that children love and adults find comforting for its simplicity.

The practical insight is in the broth base. Dried anchovies (with heads and intestines removed to prevent bitterness) combined with dried kelp produce a broth called yuksu that is the foundation of countless Korean soups. A small piece of Korean radish (mu) adds a gentle sweetness that rounds out the briny, savory character. This simple broth takes 10 minutes but provides a depth of flavor that water alone never could.

At a Glance

Yield

4 servings

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

20 minutes

Total

30 minutes

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

4 servings

1 qtwater
10large dried anchovies, heads and intestines removed
1 piecedried kelp (about 10 cm square)
3½ ozmu (Korean radish) or daikon (about 1–1½ radishes), cut into 2 to 3 large pieces
½ fl ozsoy sauce
⅞ tspfine salt, or to taste
¼ tbspmirin or rice wine (optional)
¾ lbeomuk (Korean fish cake sheets), rinsed briefly with hot water
—Wooden skewers (about 6 to 8)
2scallions, thinly sliced
—Pinch of black pepper
—Soy sauce
—Korean mustard (gyeoja)

Method

1
Prepare the dried anchovies by removing the heads and splitting them open to remove the dark intestines. This step prevents the broth from tasting bitter. It is tedious but makes a noticeable difference in flavor.
2
Place the prepared anchovies, dried kelp, radish pieces, and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3
Once the water reaches a boil, remove the kelp. Kelp becomes slimy and imparts a bitter taste if boiled for too long. The anchovies and radish should continue simmering.
4
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. The broth will turn a pale gold and develop a clean, briny, slightly sweet aroma. The radish will soften and contribute a gentle sweetness.
5
Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, removing the anchovies and radish pieces. Return the clear broth to the pot. You can return the radish pieces to the broth for serving if you like.
6
Season the broth with soy sauce, salt, and mirin (if using). Taste it. The broth should be light, clean, and savory, with a gentle seafood character and a subtle sweetness from the radish.
7
Prepare the fish cakes while the broth simmers. Rinse the eomuk sheets briefly with hot water to remove excess oil from their surface. This step lightens the finished soup.
8
Cut the fish cake sheets into manageable pieces, then thread them onto wooden skewers by folding or weaving the pieces in a zigzag pattern. Each skewer should hold one or two pieces of fish cake, folded back and forth.
9
Add the fish cake skewers to the seasoned broth. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the fish cake to absorb the broth's flavor and warm through completely. The fish cake will swell slightly and become more tender.
10
Taste the broth one final time and adjust the seasoning if needed. The fish cake adds its own subtle savoriness to the liquid during cooking.
11
Serve the soup in deep bowls, placing 1 to 2 skewers in each bowl and ladling the hot broth over them. Include a piece or two of the radish if desired.
12
Garnish with sliced scallion and a pinch of black pepper. Place soy sauce and Korean mustard on the table for individual dipping.

Key Ingredient Benefits

Eomuk (fish cake): Made from processed white fish (typically pollock), eomuk provides lean protein with relatively low fat. It is a significant source of protein in the Korean diet and a staple ingredient in soups, stews, and street food.

Dried anchovies: A calcium-rich ingredient (the small bones are consumed) that also provides protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Traditionally valued in Korean cooking as both a broth ingredient and a banchan when stir-fried with soy sauce and sugar.

Kelp (dashima): One of the richest natural sources of iodine, which is essential for thyroid function. Kelp also provides natural glutamate, the amino acid responsible for umami flavor.

Mu (Korean radish): Contains digestive enzymes (diastase) traditionally valued for supporting digestion. Rich in vitamin C, especially when consumed raw or lightly cooked.

Why This Works

The combination of dried anchovies and kelp creates a broth rich in natural glutamate (from the kelp) and inosinate (from the anchovies). These two compounds create a synergistic umami effect, where the perceived savoriness is greater than the sum of its parts. This simple two-ingredient technique is the backbone of Korean soup-making.

Removing the anchovy heads and intestines before simmering prevents the release of bitter compounds that would cloud the clean, mild character of the broth. This is a standard Korean technique that is worth the small effort.

Rinsing the fish cake sheets with hot water removes the surface oil that accumulates during packaging and storage. Without this step, the broth develops an oily film that diminishes its clarity and lightness.

The Korean radish (mu) contributes a natural sweetness from its sugars, which are released during simmering. This sweetness balances the briny, savory character of the anchovy and kelp broth, producing a more rounded, complete flavor.

Substitutions & Variations

Fish cake shapes: Tube-shaped or stick-shaped eomuk can replace sheet eomuk. They do not need to be threaded on skewers. Simply cut into bite-sized pieces and simmer directly in the broth.

Without anchovies: A vegetable broth made from dried shiitake mushrooms, kelp, and radish can produce a satisfying umami broth for a vegetarian version.

Spicy version: Add 10 g of gochugaru or a halved fresh chili to the broth for a mildly spicy variation.

With rice cakes: Add sliced tteok (rice cakes) to the broth along with the fish cake for a more substantial soup. This is a common street food combination.

Oden-style: For a more substantial dish, add hard-boiled eggs, tofu, and daikon chunks to the broth alongside the fish cake.

Serving Suggestions

Eomuk soup is the classic companion to tteokbokki, served side by side at street stalls across Korea. The mild, soothing broth balances the fiery sweetness of the rice cakes. On its own, it serves as a light soup course alongside steamed rice and several banchan. The broth is often sipped on its own as a warming drink on cold days. In lunchbox (dosirak) meals, eomuk soup is served in a thermos or insulated container.

Storage & Reheating

Leftover soup: Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The fish cake will absorb more broth over time, becoming softer.

Reheating: Warm gently over medium heat. Add a splash of water if the broth has reduced or been absorbed by the fish cake.

Broth only: The anchovy-kelp broth without fish cake stores well for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. It is a versatile base for many Korean soups.

Freezing: The fish cake can become rubbery after freezing. Freeze the broth separately and add fresh fish cake when serving.