Sundae

Taste and texture

Sundae is a sausage made by filling pig intestine with ingredients such as glass noodles, vegetables and blood. It is served with salt or dipping seasoning.

The cleaned intestinal casing acts as a long pouch for the prepared filling. Sealed and boiled or steamed, it holds the cooked centre while being sliced. A cross-section shows an outer ring around noodles and vegetables. Cabbage, sprouts and sweet rice may sit among the thin noodles. The springy casing encloses a mass of small ingredients, so each bite combines outer and inner textures.

Byeongcheon sundae centres on soft pork small-intestine casing filled with vegetables and blood. The Academy of Korean Studies describes onion, scallion and cabbage with rice or perilla seeds, plus garlic, chives and ginger. With fewer noodles, vegetable pieces sit more visibly in the softer blood-and-rice filling. Its cross-section differs from densely interwoven noodles, and perilla adds a nutty aroma when used.

The Abai style described in Sokcho uses pork large intestine with blood, sweet rice and cabbage. The broader casing exposes a wide centre in each slice. Its chewy outside surrounds rice and vegetable particles rather than a mainly noodle-filled centre. Casing type and filling explain the distinction behind the regional name, with a springy rim and softer middle in one slice.

Ojingeosundae uses a squid body as the enclosing shell instead of pig intestine. A described filling combines beef, sprouts and tofu before steaming. Slices have a substantial ring of squid around finely mixed ingredients, pairing firm squid spring with a softer tofu-containing centre. The squid forms the outside rather than appearing only as scattered pieces in the filling.

The intestinal casing is chewy, while the filling varies with the balance of glass noodles, blood, glutinous rice and vegetables. Noodle-heavy sundae emphasizes springiness; more blood and rice give the filling a richer, softer character. The ingredients inside make a substantial difference to the texture.

Spicy sundae stir-fry coats sliced cooked sausage, cabbage, onion, perilla leaves and added noodles in chili paste, chili flakes, soy and rice-syrup seasoning. A recipe cooks vegetables and noodles first, then folds in the fragile sausage gently to retain its filling. Perilla leaves and toasted seed powder finish the sweet-hot sauce with leafy and nutty aromas. Sauce and vegetables have a larger role than on a plain sliced-sausage plate.

Sillim baeksundae is described as a stir-fry of sundae, intestines, chewy wheat noodles, cabbage, onion and perilla leaves with a separate dip. Perilla powder, sesame oil and seeds season the surface instead of an all-over red sauce. Glass noodles inside the sausage and additional jjolmyeon occupy different parts of the dish alongside cabbage and intestines. The dip adds another seasoning layer to the ingredients and nutty coating.

Salt mixed with chili powder or pepper adds a light salty, aromatic coating. Korea Tourism Organization also describes regional examples using makjang, vinegared chili paste, salted shrimp or soy sauce. Thick paste coats more heavily; vinegar adds acidity and salted shrimp adds fermented seafood flavour. Tteokbokki sauce instead adds sweet heat to the mild filling, changing the balance attached to the same sausage slice.

Sundaegukbap adds sausage and rice to pork-bone broth, sometimes with head meat, liver or heart and a garnish of scallion and perilla powder. Broth reaches the cut filling while spoonfuls combine rice and meat. Perilla powder disperses its nutty flavour through the liquid and scallion adds aroma. The sausage remains central, but broth and rice make up a substantial part of the meal.

How to order it in Korea

1. Byeongcheon sundae typically reduces or omits glass noodles and uses more blood, glutinous rice and vegetables. If you want the springy texture of noodle-heavy sundae, ask about the filling first. A regional name does not mean every shop uses identical proportions.
2. Ask whether it's served with salt, a seasoned dip, or both.

At the restaurant

• Ask whether organs such as liver or lung are included and whether they can be left out.