A local dish keeps its heritage alive, carried on by loyal regulars
A traditional local dish long enjoyed in the Goheung area of South Jeolla Province — a soup made with dried fish — is keeping its heritage alive, sustained largely by a loyal base of regular customers.
On the Goheung Peninsula, surrounded by sea on three sides, the dish has long been called "geoneo-guk" ("dried-fish soup") or "mareun saengseon-tang" ("dried-fish broth"). It blends the region's seafood culture with the culinary traditions of Korean holidays and ancestral rites.
The soup traces its origins to a practical household custom: leftover savory pancakes from holiday or memorial-rite spreads were added to a clear broth simmered with dried fish. The dish reflects the frugal wisdom of generations past, who treated every ingredient as precious.
The rich, clean flavor drawn from the dried fish, combined with the mild taste of the pancakes, produces a deep, satisfying broth with little need for additional seasoning.
The soup also varies subtly from household to household, depending on which type of dried fish and pancakes each family uses — a defining characteristic of the dish.
What was once a home-kitchen staple has now found a place in local restaurants, earning a reputation as one of Goheung's understated culinary treasures.
Several restaurants in and around Goheung-eup now serve the dish under the name "mareun saengseon-tang," giving tourists and visitors a chance to try it for themselves.
"We hope tourists visiting Goheung will stop by a local restaurant, taste the dried-fish soup, and get a feel for the region's food culture and the spirit of the old Korean table," a county office official said.
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