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Dish guide · Soups and stews

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Kongguk

콩국

Warm soy milk soup

♨️ Served hot🙂 Not spicy🥬 Usually vegetarian

A bowl of warm, thick, nutty soy milk, usually with glutinous rice donuts or fried dough to soak in it. It's a local favorite in Daegu and Gyeongju, eaten for breakfast or as a snack.

What it is

  • Daegu's version adds fried strips of glutinous rice and wheat dough to warm soy milk, along with soybean powder and egg yolk.
  • Shops vary the bowl with toppings such as black sesame, black beans, honey or perilla seeds.
  • Don't confuse it with kongguksu, the cold summer noodle dish, which is a separate item on the menu.

How to eat it

  1. 1Taste it first, then add salt or sugar as you like.
  2. 2Let the donut or fried dough soak for a moment so it turns soft and chewy.

History

  • It's generally said to come from the soy milk and fried dough sold by Chinese immigrants in Daegu, which locals adapted by adding glutinous rice. Dates vary, and one account places it in the 1960s.
  • How it came to Gyeongju isn't well documented.

Allergies and diet

Usually contains

soywheateggsesame
  • Soy is the main ingredient, so avoid it if you have a soy allergy.
  • Donuts and fried dough can contain wheat.
  • Some bowls include egg yolk, sesame or perilla seeds, and toppings vary by shop.

Recipes differ between restaurants. If you have an allergy, always ask the staff before you order.

🗣️ Allergy card for the staff

Pick your allergy to see the sentence in Korean.

📍 Where to try it

Sources

We check every fact against at least two sources and write it in our own words. Last checked: 2026-11-03.