Gam Ja Tang...potato soup, or pork rib soup? While the translation in the name gets a bit confusing from person to person, it's not at all complicated why this dish is a favorite among Koreans as well as us foreigners here. Well...at least the foreigners that care about food.This 탕 (tang), or soup, begins as the owner brings out a large pot of what seems to be only vegetables and puts it on the burner in the middle of the table.
As the broth below boils and reduces the vegetation on top, the pot begins to develop into the dish you see above. When you're told that it's set to go (or if you're not a newb, you'll know when), then it's time to dish yourself up a bowl.
So...what are you eating? Well, if you eat this dish for the first time, you'll think nothing except for the fiery hellbroth that you taste. Not to worry, the spice from the 고추장 (red pepper paste) and 뒨장 (bean paste) slowly becomes familiar to your tongue, and you begin to taste the subtle sweetness of the soup.
What else? The silent necessities include things like way too much garlic, green onions, potatoes, and enoki mushrooms. ...But the real winners in this vessel of food sex (yes, food sex) come with the bok choi, pork ribs, and sesame leaves. The sesame leaves add a slightly bitter taste, the bok choi is filled with the juices from the broth, and the pork meat slides right off the bone. Dip it into the sweet honey sauce to even out your spice, get a bowl of rice to go with your broth, and have at it. Food porn, indeed!
(click for larger image)
