Yukgaejang — Spicy Shredded Beef Soup (육개장)

Pan-Korean; yukgaejang is closely associated with the Gyeongsang region (specifically Daegu's 따로국밥 tradition) and served at memorial rites (제사) and community gatherings throughout Korea

Yukgaejang (육개장) is an intensely spiced, deeply red beef soup built on long-shredded brisket or flank, a generous volume of gochugaru, perilla seeds, fernbrake (고사리, gosari), and green onion, with a slow-extracted beef bone stock as the base. The distinctive quality of yukgaejang is the shredding technique: cooked beef is pulled into very fine threads along the grain, then dressed with gochugaru, sesame oil, and garlic before returning to the broth — this layered seasoning ensures every strand of beef carries flavour rather than bland protein in spiced broth. Yukgaejang is considered a restorative dish (보양식, boyangsik) associated with summer heat.

Yukgaejang's intense spice and savoury depth pair with plain white rice as the only accompaniment — the soup is so complete it needs nothing else. The traditional serving of yukgaejang includes rice in a separate bowl; Daegu-style 따로국밥 (depart-from-the-pot rice) serves it this way specifically, allowing diners to add rice incrementally to control the broth concentration.