Son of a Chef

Sometimes, people’s expectations of Korean food can be a little funny. In the West, if you say you want Kbbq, it usually means one restaurant. In Korea, you have to specify down from a long list of various bbq style cookeries.

Most people are familiar with smakyeopsal and normal beef barbecues. When we get to skewers and things like eel or gopchang, we’ve lost most travelers. 

What is gopchang? Well, it’s intestines.

Actually, it’s stuffed intestines. It’s intestines stuffed with stomach fluid. At this point, I’ve really lost all but the most adventurous traveler-eaters. However, I think it’s really something worth trying.

The flavor is awesome. Korea is big on chewy textures for meat. It’s a little different than the knife-buttery style of the West, though you can find that here, too. But the chewyness of the intestines starts to fade out a little when it’s perfectly cooked.

A light golden-brown pan-fry is when the intestines are at their best. And the insides are a soft, oily addition that gives volume and complexity to each bite.

What does it taste like? It’s quite hard to give a good comparison. It’s a unique meaty flavor. There’s plenty of good savory salty notes and combining it with the array of sauces and or other pan fried goodness can be delightful. Unsurprisingly, it pairs well with cooked kimchi.

Yet, I think many diners might not make it past eating intestines. It is… well, intestines. However, if you think too long about any meat, it’s all disturbing. Maybe this is the point I should mention the bits of cow heart pictured at the top. Heart is quite lean, if you haven’t eaten it before.

Why gopchang? Well, I think it’s something that people should try. I watch a lot of Korea content on instagram or youtube. I see so much samkyeopsal, kimbap and cafe content. I surely don’t see enough soju and gopchang content.

When people ask me, “what should I eat in Korea?” or “what food is underrated in Korea?” Gopchang is on that list. It’s not something you can get so easily outside of Korea and if it’s done well, it’s awesome. It also isn’t super filling, if you order it lightly. It’s the perfect round one or round two in a nice night out.

For me, gopchang is something I get a craving for every few months. As my partner says, “oof, it really is so oily.” And for that reason, I don’t get it too often. It is not the healthiest thing to eat and it should probably be a special treat, if you’re in a place to have regular access to it.

All that said, it’s my underrated Korean food for today. If you’re traveling, you’re walking enough to not care about counting calories and the like. Give it a try. You might just enjoy eating intestines.