Seolleongtang (설렁탕)

Milky ox-bone broth you season yourself with salt and scallions.

Korean name: 설렁탕
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: savory · mild
Typically contains: beef
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩10,000–₩14,000 per person checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●●○ Solo dining ●●●●● Kid-friendly ●●●●○
Also written as: sullungtang, seolleong tang, ox bone soup, seollangtang

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 Seolleongtang?

Seolleongtang (설렁탕) is a milky-white soup of ox bones boiled for many hours until the collagen clouds the broth, served with brisket slices, noodles, and rice. It arrives completely unseasoned — each diner salts it and adds scallions at the table, then pairs every spoonful with kkakdugi radish kimchi. Some Seoul establishments have served little else for over a century; it is the city's definitive old-school breakfast.

How to eat it

Season the milky broth yourself with salt, pepper and a heap of chopped scallions — it arrives deliberately bland.
Add the rice into the soup (many places serve it already in).
Eat kkakdugi between spoonfuls — radish kimchi with seolleongtang is a sacred pairing, and its juice in the soup is a classic move.

Good to know

Unseasoned first spoonfuls taste 'empty' — that's by design, not bad cooking.

Milky color comes from long-boiled bones. Joseon-era origin stories tie it to royal farming rites at Seonnongdan.

Seen on Screen

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

The Glory (더 글로리, 2022) — The milky ox-bone soup scene — comfort food carrying very uncomfortable conversations.

✓ Verified — official source · Explore the scene →

Where to eat it

Selected classic places — verified, sourced, never sponsored. See all →

이문설농탕 · Imun Seolnongtang Jongno (Jonggak Stn.) · ₩

Local classicSince 1904 — Seoul's oldest restaurant

Korea's oldest surviving restaurant, serving milky seolleongtang since 1904 — a bowl of living history behind Jonggak.

Known for: Seolleongtang

Naver Map ↗ Google Maps ↗

Open as of our last check (2026-07-20) · Sources: VisitKorea (한국관광공사) · Namu Wiki — hours, prices and status can change; check the map link before visiting.

Nutrition

Calories	24 kcal
Carbohydrate	0.36 g
Protein	4.26 g
Fat	0.58 g
Sodium	22 mg

Per serving (~500g): ≈120 kcal · sodium ≈110 mg (6% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 500g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 설렁탕, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.