Eomuk Tang (어묵탕)

Fish-cake skewer soup — the street-stall winter warmer.

Korean name: 어묵탕
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: savory · light
Typically contains: fish cake
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩5,000–₩15,000 per dish checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●●● Solo dining ●●●●○ Kid-friendly ●●●●○
Also written as: odeng, odeng tang, eomuk guk, fish cake soup

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Eomuk Tang?

Eomuk-tang (어묵탕) is fish cake soup — skewers and slices of eomuk simmered in a clean anchovy-radish broth with chili and scallion. It is the soup of street carts and pojangmacha tents in winter, where the broth is ladled free into paper cups, and equally a home anju simmered for soju nights. Busan, Korea's fish cake capital, elevates it with premium eomuk of high fish content.

How to eat it

Take a skewer from the pot, eat it straight off the stick, and keep your used skewers — street stalls count them for the bill.
Help yourself to the broth in paper cups — traditionally free at stalls, refill politely.
Dip in soy-mustard sauce at sit-down versions.

Cooking it at home

Simmer fish cakes, radish and kelp in anchovy stock with a little soy.
Fold flat sheets onto skewers accordion-style for the classic look.
Keep at a low simmer — long boiling bloats the fish cake.

Good to know

Fish cakes contain wheat and fish, commonly shrimp — a hidden-allergen dish.

Busan is fish-cake capital (look for 'Busan eomuk' brands); winter street carts sell the broth experience as much as the food.

Seen on Screen

This food appears in popular Korean dramas and movies — every connection verified and sourced.

Ode to My Father (국제시장, 2014) — Fish cake is Busan's signature street food — the market stalls of the film's era ran on it. (Theme connection.)

Theme connection — not a specific-scene claim

Train to Busan (부산행, 2016) — Busan is Korea's fish cake capital — the first thing to eat when your train (safely) arrives. (Theme connection — the film itself is not about food.)

Theme connection — not a specific-scene claim

Nutrition

Calories	31 kcal
Carbohydrate	3.83 g
Protein	1.49 g
Fat	1.03 g
Sodium	226 mg

Per serving (~350g): ≈109 kcal · sodium ≈791 mg (40% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 350g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 어묵국(어묵탕), synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.