Sundubu-jjigae순두부찌개

Sundubu is tofu that has curdled in soy milk but has never been pressed. There are no old records about sundubu in particular, but the collected writings of the scholar Yi Saek (Mogeunjip) mention a soup made with tofu, and Yi Ik's Seongho Saseol describes grinding soybeans for tofu and cooking the leftover pulp into soup. Soft tofu, a natural step in tofu making, was likely eaten alongside these.

The most famous home of sundubu is Chodang village in Gangneung, on Korea's east coast, where soy milk is set with seawater from the nearby coast instead of the usual brine. One story says the village name comes from Heo Yeop (1517–1580), a mid-Joseon scholar whose pen name was Chodang and who made tofu with seawater, but no documents back this up. In fact, the earlier Munjong Sillok, the annals of King Munjong, already mentions seawater or salt water being used to curdle tofu. Since the 1990s, sundubu restaurants have multiplied in Chodang, drawing crowds of visitors.

Sundubu-jjigae (순두부찌개) comes in many styles. An old recipe added seasoned clams and seasoned the pot with a mix of soy sauce and salt, with the tip that soy sauce alone darkens the tofu and salted shrimp firms it up. Gangneung-style stew, made by stir-frying kimchi and pork before adding the tofu, and seafood sundubu loaded with oysters and clams are both much loved.