True to its name, Cheongju is a "clear and clean region." As evidenced by the fact that Musimcheon Stream, which flows through downtown Cheongju, is close to being a dry stream, the city appears to be a land of clarity and pristineness rather than one abundant in water. Cheongju’s cuisine shares a resemblance with the region’s nature. It is not flashy, but it subtly and deeply reveals the inherent flavors of the ingredients.

With a population approaching 900,000, Cheongju has developed a variety of foods and a scale of dining out commensurate with its population. The Miho Plain, formed by the flooding of the Miho River, connects parts of Cheongju City with Cheongwon County and Yeongi County in South Chungcheong Province; due to its abundant water resources and well-organized farmland, it forms a granary region. The geographical treatise *Sinjeung Dongguk Yeoji Seungnam*, written in 1530, states that "the land of Cheongju is fertile." Furthermore, although it is not the birthplace of rice, the world's oldest rice seeds, dating back 15,000 years, were discovered in Soro-ri, Oksan-myeon, Cheongju.

Cheongju's food has something in common with the region's nature.

It is not flashy, but it subtly reveals the natural flavor of the ingredients.

Jang culture unique to inland regions

The cookbook *Banchan Deungsok*, compiled in 1913 by a family in Sangsin-ri (currently Gangseo 2-dong), Cheongju-gun, vividly portrays the food culture of the Cheongju region from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Notably, the use of chili peppers is more prominent compared to cookbooks from the Joseon Dynasty. The fact that pickled chili peppers or chili pepper paste can be found in restaurants throughout Cheongju today demonstrates that the recipes found in *Banchan Deungsok* continue to influence the city's contemporary dining culture. As many as eight types of pickled vegetables appear in the book, the reason lies in Cheongju's status as an inland region. In inland areas where obtaining fresh ingredients is difficult, food preservation is of paramount importance. Consequently, the development of a culture surrounding fermented sauces, such as soy sauce, soybean paste, and chili paste, was inevitable. Cheongju was a region known for its high-quality and abundant soybeans, and due to this background, pickled vegetables preserved in soy sauce made from soybeans were widely consumed. *Banchan Deungsok* also includes a recipe for adding sugar as a way to enjoy chili paste. Currently, unlike in other regions, there are quite a few restaurants in Cheongju that add gochujang to their haejanguk.

Cheongju was a region with high-quality and high-yield soybeans,

Due to this background, people ate a lot of salted vegetables pickled in soy sauce made from soybeans.

Cheongju's signature dish, Olgaengiguk

"Olgaengi" is the Chungcheong dialect term for freshwater snails. The olgaengi used in Cheongju's olgaengi-guk is, to be precise, the *beteul-olgaengi*. In the mid-to-late 1970s, there were three establishments specializing in olgaengi-guk within Seomun Market in Cheongju. According to the August 9, 1977 issue of the *Kyunghyang Shinmun*, the restaurant at the center of this was "Sangju-jip." Sangju-jip is still operating near Seomun Market and is considered the oldest of the oldest establishments in Cheongju. As Yukgeori Market became the center of Cheongju, the 13 olgaengi specialty shops in Seomun Market took a hit, and all but Sangju-jip closed their doors. Inside the shop, several plaques and certificates designating it as a local food establishment are displayed. The restaurant's official name is "Sangju Olgaengi-jip." About 50 years ago, after the passing of Ms. Kim Wol-im, known as the "Olgaengi Grandmother," her daughter, Ms. Kim Sun-yeol, has been carrying on the family business. The menu consists of only two items: Olgaengi-guk (snailfish soup) and Olgaengi-muchim (spicy seasoned snailfish). In the soup, the savory broth, based on soybean paste, features snails and chives that harmonize naturally, much like an old couple. It is served with homemade soybean paste, young radish kimchi, cubed radish kimchi, salted chili pepper kimchi, and a chili pepper paste seasoning. The broth is mild yet deep, a flavor that has preserved the essence of Cheongju cuisine, which is not overpowering. Previously, the dishes were made with snails caught in the Namhan River in the Chungju region and the Goegang River in Goesan, but since the construction of the Chungju Dam, they now use snails caught in Gangwon-do, the upper reaches of the Namhan River. For the Olgaengi-guk, the snails are soaked in water to remove sand, then cooked in boiling water for about 15 minutes before being drained. Soybean paste is then dissolved in the broth, and seasonal vegetables and chives are added and simmered. As the saying goes, “A bowl of freshwater snail soup is worth one ounce of ginseng” (Kyunghyang Shinmun, October 14, 1976), freshwater snail soup is a food that nourishes the health and soul for the people of Cheongju.

The broth is mild and deep.

It is a flavor that has preserved the foundation of mild Cheongju cuisine.

The culture of grilling briquette pork belly with soy sauce

Samgyeopsal Street, which opened in Seomun Market in 2012, is currently home to 14 thriving restaurants specializing in pork belly. What is the reason behind the establishment of Samgyeopsal Street here in Cheongju? While its external origins were driven by the local government, its foundation lies in Cheongju's unique pork belly culture. Cheongju pork belly possesses four distinct characteristics. The first is seasoned with soy sauce; the second is grilled over briquettes; the third is grilled alongside aged kimchi; and the fourth is eaten with chopped green onions. In the dead of winter, Cheongju's grilled pork belly cooked over briquettes was a winter delicacy. The pioneers of pork belly restaurants in Cheongju were 'Mansujip' and 'Ddalnejip,' located next to Cheongju Pharmacy. Although the culture of grilling over briquettes has become less prevalent recently, all pork belly restaurants established since the 1960s utilized briquette grilling. After that, grilled pork belly spread throughout Cheongju, and 'Gosokjujeom,' located next to the Songnisan Express Bus Terminal in the past, was the most famous. The meat tasted exceptionally good.

Cheongju's soy sauce-marinated pork belly is also referred to as "Shioyaki." While "Shioyaki" refers to Japanese grilled fish seasoned solely with salt, the name seems to have originated from the style of grilling meat lightly seasoned with soy sauce or sprinkled with just salt. Seasoning with soy sauce was a method used to eliminate the gamey odor of pork in times when people did not distinguish between male and female pigs. The ingredients added to the soy sauce vary from household to household. It is made by adding ginger, garlic, cinnamon powder, or various medicinal herbs. The meat is not marinated in the soy sauce but is poured over it just before serving. The soy sauce-marinated bulgogi sold at "Cheongju Sikdang" in Sinbong-dong, located near a pig slaughterhouse, demonstrates the reason for using high-quality ingredients with minimal seasoning. The chopped scallions and well-fermented kimchi make the pork belly taste sweet and tender.

Cheongju's samgyeopsal is not only delicious, but it is also served generously with vegetables and seasonings such as lettuce, perilla leaves, garlic, onions, and chopped scallions. An article in the Chungbuk Ilbo dated November 2, 2010, stated, "In Cheongju, there is not a single samgyeopsal restaurant that charges extra or acts annoyed when customers ask for more vegetables. Along with the samgyeopsal, generous hospitality comes as an added bonus." Following this article, a full-scale samgyeopsal street was established in 2012 and continues to this day.

Recently, the culture of grilling over briquettes is less prevalent, but

All the pork belly restaurants that opened since the 1960s were grilled over briquettes.

High-quality blood sausage and hangover soup that started at the cattle market

Cheongju’s Seojeon Cattle Market was nationally famous. Along with the Seojeon markets in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, and Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, it was considered one of the three major cattle markets in Korea. The Cheongju Seojeon market was located in the Namju-dong area, and Namju-dong Haejangguk restaurants sprang up in that vicinity. 'Namju-dong Haejangguk,' which has been in business since 1943 and remains thriving to this day, is a living fossil of Cheongju-style haejangguk and represents the pinnacle of its flavor. The signature dishes are Seonji Haejangguk (blood sausage haejangguk) and Sogogi Haejangguk (beef haejangguk). The Seonji Haejangguk contains a balanced mix of blood sausage, beef, and tripe. The base of the broth, made by simmering beef bones and backbones for a long time, is the same for all. The key to this restaurant's flavor lies in adding 10-year-aged gochujang (red chili paste) to the beef broth. The sweet, savory, and slightly spicy taste of the gochujang cuts through the richness of the meat broth while maximizing and sustaining the umami flavor. The quality of the blood sausage is also exceptional. It is odorless and tender. When sliced, it reveals a greenish tint and features small holes like cheese, making it a top-grade product. The meat is also tender, offering a texture that harmonizes well with the blood sausage. It is not a place merely left with history, but a place that has elevated history into flavor.

In addition to these, Cheongju is home to numerous famous establishments such as 'Yukgeori Somunnan Mandu,' 'Geumgang Seolleongtang' with its 58-year tradition, and 'Seonbi Mukbap,' a restaurant specializing in acorn jelly rice. In the 1960s, udon noodles gained immense popularity, and from the late 1970s to the 1980s, Cheongju's barley rice restaurants became nationally famous for the first time as a key part of the dining-out culture. Cheongju's food culture, which is not heavily seasoned but is described as "quietly strong"—as the advertising slogan suggests—is particularly noteworthy in this era where stimulating foods are the focus of attention.

Cheongju's Soejeonwoo Market was famous nationwide.

It was considered one of the three major cattle markets in Korea, along with the Uiseong cattle market in North Gyeongsang Province and the Suwon cattle market in Gyeonggi Province .

Illustration | A dining scene featuring photos of meals sent by artist Park Jung-bae from Sangju Olgaengi House and Namju-dong Haejangguk, alongside a table setting of charcoal-grilled pork belly.

External contributions to the Editorial Department are intended to provide a multifaceted understanding of local culture and industry and may differ from the views of the Editorial Department.

Park Jung-bae

He researches the historical culture of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine and explores the field. Historical sources, which surge throughout his writing, transport the reader to the vivid heart of food history. He has serialized works such as "Park Jung-bae’s Birth of Korean Cuisine" and "The Decisive Menu" in the *Chosun Ilbo*, and has served as an advisor or appeared in broadcast programs like Netflix’s *Hanwoo Rhapsody*. He also runs food-related lecture academies such as the "Soup Academy" and "Noodle School." His published works include *Dumplings: A Cultural History of Dumplings and Gyoza in Korea, China, and Japan* and *Eumsik Gangsan*.