Kalguksu is a relatively common dish, easily made by adding noodles to a soup instead of rice. Despite its simplicity, Daejeon is always mentioned in connection with kalguksu, even though the dish didn’t originate there. This is because Daejeon takes kalguksu seriously. The city is home to over 700 kalguksu restaurants, a remarkably high number compared to other regions. Among them are many long-standing restaurants that have been serving kalguksu for decades.

Kalguksu can be broadly classified into two categories based on the type of broth used: meat-based and seafood-based. Among meat-based kalguksu, the most common type uses beef bone soup. This flavor is familiar to Koreans, as it resembles other soups like seolleongtang (ox bone soup) and gomtang (beef bone soup), and the cooking method is widely known. Chicken is another popular ingredient for making the broth. Sometimes, a whole chicken is boiled and enjoyed as a chicken soup, with noodles added to the broth afterward.

Haemul kalguksu (seafood noodle soup) often uses anchovies and Manila clams for its broth. Most janchi guksu found in traditional markets are made with anchovy-based broth. Occasionally, you will find kalguksu prepared with a blend of anchovy broth and beef bone broth. Bajirak kalguksu (clam noodle soup), common in Korea’s western coastal regions, is distinguished by the generous use of Manila clams, cooked in a large pot according to the number of people being served.

Daejeon features some unique kalguksu varieties not commonly found elsewhere, such as dubu duruchigi kalguksu (noodle soup with stir-fried bean curd). The dish originated from adding noodles to the dishes at restaurants specializing in dubu duruchigi (stir-fried bean curd). Duruchigi is a stir-fried dish of bean curd or meat with spicy seasoning, typically served with little to no broth. As such, dubu duruchigi kalguksu is a type of stir-fried noodles.

There is also noodle soup made with surf clams instead of Manila clams. Surf clams, small white clams shaped like a rounded triangle, are sometimes called “water gun clams” because they squirt water when sand is cleaned out. While Manila clams release their flavor into the broth when cooked, surf clams retain their flavor inside their shells. This makes dongjuk kalguksu (noodle soup with surf clams) unique, as you can enjoy a rich broth flavor while savoring the clam meat. Some restaurants serve noodles added to ojingeo jjigae (squid stew) as an extra option. They often add pickled radish for a spicy kick, enhancing the savory flavor of the broth as it cooks.