Nau speak: Korea: 청국장 Deadbody Soup! (aka Cheonggukjang)

What is the scariest thing you've ever put into your mouth?

(that's what she said)

There's actually a surprisingly large amount of ethics and consideration that can go into food if you put any thought into it. After all, as anyone who's met a vegan can attest, they've invariably put a lot of time and energy into their diet of choice. Personally, I'm not going to be a vegan, not for any extended period of time in the foreseeable future unless it's as a temporary dietary change, key word being temporary. I'm not terribly shy about putting weird and potentially disturbing things in my mouth in the name of trying new foods, and that adventure led me to eating 청국장 or cheonggukjang. This particular breed of soup has a very pronouncedly pungent odor, sometimes dubbed vaguely reminiscent of "wet socks". So strong is the smell that it's lead to the alternative name of "Dead body soup" after an urban legend cropped up about the notorious smelly soup leading to false accusations of murder. If that doesn't hint to the fact this is some seriously stinky shi*t, I don't know what else to tell you guys. It's made with fermented soybeans, which are also eaten in the form of natto, a mucilaginous dish that has its own notoriety for being famously divisive.

I'm sure the fellow denizens dining in the tiny little restaurant I opted to go to for my helping of this stinky soup were probably less than excited about my decision to order it. It's considered a healthy dish, nourishing to help power you through the depths of winter's chill, but the winter chill also meant that the doors to the small establishment were shut. The stinky little sauna was strongest in my immediate vicinity, but there's no escaping the severity of the stench on this one, not in a space this small. I've eaten this dish in the past and gotten a wretched case of indigestion, but this time through it went without issue. The soup itself is rich in umami with a bleu cheese kind of fermented depth, which I find enjoyable but may not be palatable for some. I've never been one to be put off of a food due to its odor, so the famous smell isn't a problem to me. I know that I'm in a rare camp on that count, and I am grateful.