A formidable bowl of kalgusku landed with a heavy thud at our table.
Jang-kalguksu, another one of Gangneung's signature noodle dishes, consists of "knife-cut" noodles served in a broth heavier and more robust than the light anchovy or chicken broth of the kind of kalguksu I had been accustomed to eating before moving to Gangwon-do.
At Hyundae Jang-Kalguksoo (현대 장칼국수), one of the most popular culinary attractions in Gangneung sought out for this beloved regional specialty, both gochujang and doenjang are added to a broth made with anchovies and dried pollack heads. The recipes for jang-kalguksu I've browsed online don't call for the use of dried pollack, but in Gangneung and Pyeongchang it is an ingredient very commonly employed to make broths.
Dispersing the seaweed flakes and digging into the bowl revealed a mix of mussels, clams, potatoes, squash, onion, egg, and a immodest serving of noodles that were cut almost a centimeter wide. Although gochujang was the dominant flavor, both "jang" combined contributed an aged richness to the kalguksu that I grew very fond of with each slurp.
