{"id":113721,"title":"Authentic Nurungji Baeksuk","modified":"2025-12-11T10:27:39+01:00","plain":"A soothing Korean broth in which a whole chicken simmers low and slow, then gets a final flourish of crispy nurungji added at the last minute.\n\n\n\nNurungji baeksuk is the kind of soup that comforts from the very first spoonful. A whole chicken simmers until the broth turns silky and aromatic. Irregular pieces of nurungji, that golden, ultra\u2011crisp rice crust, are then added and gently stirred in.\n\n\n\nThese shards of rice reach the table with crisp, lacy edges, then gradually turn tender as they soak up the broth. It\u2019s a complete one\u2011pot meal\u2014both rustic and quietly luxurious. It\u2019s perfect on a biting winter night or when someone needs a deeply restorative bowl.\n\n\n\nSee also: samgyetang\n\n\n\nAbout the dish\n\n\n\nName, meaning, and what\u2019s in the bowl\n\n\n\nNurungji baeksuk is a Korean soup built on a whole chicken, simplicity, and time, then finished with scorched rice for flavor and texture. While many chicken soups rely on bold seasoning or creamy richness, this one stays pale and just slightly cloudy. Its depth comes from a long, gentle simmer and a handful of aromatics.\n\n\n\nNurungji is the defining element: the toasted, scorched rice crust you usually scrape from the bottom of the pot to nibble as a crunchy little snack. Here, it takes the lead in the broth.\n\n\n\nPieces of nurungji\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ve defined nurungji, but Baeksuk literally means \u201csimply boiled\u201d or \u201ccooked white,\u201d and refers to meat gently simmered in water without heavy sauces.\n\n\n\nTogether, \u201cnurungji baeksuk\u201d is essentially \u201cboiled chicken with scorched rice.\u201d It\u2019s a whole chicken cooked with scallions, garlic, ginger, onion, and jujubes, with the optional addition of other Korean medicinal roots like licorice or astragalus, and finished with medium\u2011sized shards of nurungji.\n\n\n\nAt the table, the chicken may arrive whole or already shredded, floating in a broth lightly thickened by the rice and topped with a shower of finely sliced scallions and, sometimes, a dusting of nutty perilla seed powder. Unlike the clear, simple version of baeksuk, this one is marked by those pieces of scorched rice, which turn the soup into a heartier meal with far more texture.\n\n\n\nOrigins of nurungji baeksuk\n\n\n\nBaeksuk was born from a modest approach. Rather than relying on strong marinades or assertive sauces, it leans on time and gentle heat to draw out the flavor of a chicken that simply simmers with aromatics and water. When nurungji and chicken baeksuk meet in the same pot, the result feels like the natural evolution of these two traditions.\n\n\n\nJujubes are a common addition, and some cooks also slip in, optionally, medicinal roots such as licorice or astragalus, tying the dish to the very Korean idea of food as gentle medicine\u2014made to strengthen rather than to jolt.\n\n\n\nWith a generous handful of garlic\u2014often around 15 whole cloves\u2014and about a 2 cm piece of ginger, you get a soup widely regarded as a feel\u2011good meal. Some households make it without roots, others add them generously, but the reputation of nurungji baeksuk as a gentle, restorative pot is remarkably consistent.\n\n\n\nKey ingredients\n\n\n\nThe ingredient list for nurungji baeksuk looks short, but each part plays an essential role. Together, these ingredients create a clear broth with multiple layers of flavor, and a rice crust that keeps its crunch just long enough before becoming pleasantly tender.\n\n\n\n\nWhole chicken (1\u20131.2\u00a0kg): provides a flavorful broth and tender meat; this manageable size cooks evenly and concentrates flavor.\n\n\n\nNurungji (scorched rice), store\u2011bought or homemade: brings a toasted, lightly smoky aroma and a texture that\u2019s crisp at first, then tender\u2014defining the dish.\n\n\n\nPerilla seed powder (optional garnish): offers a nutty, slightly earthy note that echoes the grain\u2011centered heart of the dish.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Nurungji Baeksuk\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t1 whole chicken (1 to 1.2 kg)1 bowl nurungji (store-bought or homemade, cut into medium pieces)3 stalks scallions (cut into segments)15 cloves garlic (whole)1 piece ginger (2 cm piece)1 onion2 L watersalt (to taste)ground black pepper (to taste)Korean medicinal herbs1 handful jujubeslicorice root (optional)astragalus root (optional)Garnishscallions (thinly sliced)perilla powder (optional)\t\n\t\n\t\tBroth & ChickenRinse the chicken thoroughly under running water.Pour the water into a large pot.Add the scallions, garlic, ginger, onion, and, optionally, the medicinal herbs.Bring to a boil over high heat.Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to develop the broth.Submerge the prepared chicken in the broth.Cover and simmer over medium heat until the chicken is fully cooked, about 40 to 120 minutes, depending on size.Check for doneness by piercing the thickest part; the juices should run clear.Nurungji & FinishFlatten cold rice in a lightly oiled pan to make homemade nurungji.Toast the rice over medium-low heat until the layer is thin and crisp.Add the nurungji to the pot when the chicken is cooked.Cook uncovered for 5 minutes so it absorbs the broth without falling apart.Season with salt to taste.Add ground black pepper to taste.Shred the chicken for serving, if desired.Sprinkle with scallions or perilla powder, as desired.\t\n\t\n\t\t\nAdd the nurungji last to preserve its toasty character.\nProperly cooked chicken yields a rich, clean broth.\nPressure cooker: Cook the chicken under pressure first, then add the nurungji and finish for 5 minutes without pressure.\nYou can use duck, but it will be fattier.\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principal, Soupes et bouillonsCor\u00e9enne\t\n\n\n\n\n\nCulinary sources\n\n\n\n\nNurungji Baeksuk (Boiled Chicken with Rice) \u2013 Korean Bapsang (English)\n\n\n\n\u201cKorean Cooking Stories\u201d: Dakbaeksuk \u2013 \ub300\ud55c\uae09\uc2dd\uc2e0\ubb38 (Korean)\n\n\n\n\u201cA baeksuk that takes three days to prepare one bowl?\u201d \u2013 Hotplace Hunter (Korean)\n\n\n\nRejuvenate with a Nurungji Dakbaeksuk recipe \u2013 Tistory (Korean)\n\n\n\nNurungji Baeksuk in the Instant Pot \u2013 Reddit (r\/KoreanFood) (English)\n\n\n\n14.178 Nurungji Baeksuk \u2013 Give Me This Day (English)\n\n\n\nCheonggye Nurungji Baeksuk \u2013 \uc9c0\uc5edN\ubb38\ud654 (Korean)\n\n\n\n\u201c2TV Saengsaeng Jeongbo\u201d: Crab dish, Cheongsong\u2019s Nurungji Dakbaeksuk \u2013 \ube44\uc988\ud2b8\ub9ac\ubdf4 (Korean)\n\n\n\n\u201cNurungji Baeksuk\u201d: a summer flavor to savor by the stream! \u2013 YouTube (Korean)\n\n\n\nNurungji Dakbaeksuk: the secret to 34 years of rustic flavor is \u201cspring water\u201d (Saengsaeng Jeongbo) \u2013 \ub124\uc774\ud2b8 \ub274\uc2a4 (Korean)\n\n\n\nWhen my friends come to visit, this is where I take them \u2013 Reddit (r\/koreatravel) (English)\n\n\n\nBuckwheat Pancake for the Winter Olympics in Korea! \u2013 Kimchimari (English)\n\n\n\nScorched rice \u2013 Wikipedia (English)\n\n\n\nu\/tooki72 \u2013 Reddit (English)\n\n\n\nMenu \u2013 \uc7a5\uc218\ucd0c (Korean)","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113721"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113728,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113721\/revisions\/113728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}