If you had to guess BLACKPINK Lisa’s favorite Korean food, what would you choose?
Korean barbecue? Tteokbokki? Fried chicken?
The answer is gamjatang (감자탕) — a hearty, spicy Korean pork-bone stew.
In a YG interview, Lisa was asked which Korean food she liked the most. Her answer was simple: gamjatang. She explained that she had never tried it in Thailand and first discovered it after coming to Korea. It turned out to be exactly her kind of food.
What Is Gamjatang?
Gamjatang is made by simmering pork backbone in a rich, spicy broth.
A typical pot includes potatoes, vegetables or kimchi cabbage, and perilla powder. The pork becomes tender after cooking, while the perilla gives the broth its distinctive nutty, savory flavor.
Despite the word gamja meaning “potato” in modern Korean, this isn’t simply a potato soup. The star of the dish is the pork bone and its deeply flavored broth.
What Does Gamjatang Taste Like?
Think of it as something between a spicy stew and a slow-cooked pork soup.
The broth is rich and savory, with noticeable spice, while the meat around the bones becomes soft and tender. Korea Tourism Organization also notes that gamjatang is popular as a hangover dish because of its hearty, spicy broth.
And there’s something very Korean about eating it.
You pick the tender meat from the bones, eat it with rice, and keep returning to the bubbling broth.
It isn’t particularly glamorous.
But it is serious comfort food.
Lisa Discovered It in Korea
That may be the most interesting part of Lisa’s answer.
Lisa grew up in Thailand, but said she hadn’t encountered gamjatang there. She tried it only after arriving in Korea and found that it perfectly suited her taste.
So if you’re exploring Korean food because of K-pop, don’t stop at barbecue and tteokbokki.
Try a bubbling pot of gamjatang.
You might discover the same Korean comfort food that won over Lisa.