Gopchang[2] (Korean곱창) is a dish in Korean cuisine. It can refer to either the small intestines of cattle, the large intestines of pigs, or a gui (grilled dish) made of the small intestines.[1][2] The latter is also called gopchang-gui (곱창구이; "grilled intestines"). The tube-shaped offal is chewy with rich elastic fibers.[3]

Gopchang
Gopchang-gui (grilled beef small intestines)
Alternative namesGopchang-gui
TypeGui
Place of originKorea
Associated cuisineKorean cuisine
Main ingredientsBeef small intestine or pork big intestines
Food energy
(per 100 g serving)
145 kcal (607 kJ)[1]
Similar dishesChunchullo
Korean name
Hangul
곱창
Revised Romanizationgopchang
McCune–Reischauerkopch'ang
IPA[kop̚.tɕʰaŋ]

It can be stewed in a hot pot (gopchang-jeongol, 곱창전골), grilled over a barbecue (gopchang-gui), boiled in soup with other intestines (naejang-tang), or made into a sausage (sundae).[4]

In the past, gopchang was a popular, nutritious, and cheap dish for the general public.[5] Rich in iron and vitamins, it was served as a health supplement for improving a weak constitution, recovering patients, and postpartum depression.[5] Today, gopchang is also regarded as a delicacy and is more expensive than regular meat of the same weight.[5] It is a popular anju (food served and eaten with soju).[6]

Preparation

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The intestines are cleaned thoroughly, rubbed with wheat flour and coarse salt, and rinsed several times.[3] The fat is trimmed off, and the cleaned gopchang is soaked in water to remove any traces of blood.[1] Garlic, ginger, onion, cooking wine, black pepper, and Korean pepper are common marinating ingredients, mainly used for eliminating any unpleasant odors and tenderizing the meat of gopchang.[1][3]

Ingredients for gopchang-gui marinade are juiced, rather than minced, so that they don't burn during the grilling process.[7] Common ingredients include soy sauce, gochutgaru (chili powder), mullyeot (rice syrup), cheongju (rice wine), onion juice, apple juice, garlic juice, scallion juice, and ginger juice.[7]

The gopchang is first marinated in the seasonings and spices, then grilled on a lightly greased pan or griddle.[7] Onions and bell peppers are often grilled together with gopchang.[7] Grilled gopchang is often served dipped in salt and sesame oil.[7] After that, usually Bokkumbab (볶음밥; "fried rice") is cooked with Gopchang oil.

Varieties and similar dishes

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Gopchang of pork big intestines is usually called dwaeji-gopchang (돼지곱창; "pig gopchang").

In Korean cuisine, food similar to gopchang prepared with beef blanket tripe is called yang-gopchang (양곱창; "rumen gopchang"),[5] while the one prepared with beef reed tripe is called makchang (막창; "last tripe"),[5] and the one with beef large intestines is called daechang (대창; "big innards").[8]

Internationally, gopchang could be compared to chitterlings (pork's small intestines) or Latin American chunchullo (beef, pork, or lamb's small intestines). The Spanish/Portuguese term tripas or the English tripe also occasionally referred to as small beef's intestines, attesting to the practice of consuming animal intestines as a truly worldwide phenomenon.

Some foods have tripe in their dishes, such as stir-fried tripe and gopchang jeongol.

'Nak-Gop-Sae(낙곱새)' is a spicy soup with octopus, tripe, and shrimp, and is also loved as a side dish that is sometimes good to eat with alcohol. It is said that this food was first developed in Busan, South Korea.[9]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d 주, 선태; 김, 갑돈 (2012). Gogi sucheop 고기 수첩 (in Korean). Seoul: Woodumji. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-89-6754-000-5 – via Naver.
  2. ^ a b "gopchang" 곱창. Standard Korean Language Dictionary (in Korean). National Institute of Korean Language. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "gopchang" 곱창. Doopedia (in Korean). Doosan Corporation. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  4. ^ Montgomery, Charles (15 May 2014). "The 10 Most Bizarre Korean Foods To Try Out". 10 Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e "gopchang gui" [Grilled Beef Tripe]. Korean Food Foundation. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  6. ^ Yoon, So-yeon (19 December 2016). "Bottomless eats, endless headache". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e "gopchang-gui" 곱창구이. Doopedia (in Korean). Doosan Corporation. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  8. ^ "daechang" 대창. Standard Korean Language Dictionary (in Korean). National Institute of Korean Language. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  9. ^ 송, 창범 (2019-06-29). "[백년 맛집] ⑮개미집…'낙곱새' 전국 최초개발 원조집". Aju Business Daily (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-04-10.