Difference Between Yukkejang, Kalbi Soup, and Degutan

Hello everyone, this is Sondo from Kuro5.

After enjoying a full course of grilled Wagyu, the ultimate way to finish your meal is with a warm bowl of soup placed over the table grate. Looking at the menu, you will see names like “Yukkejang Soup,” “Kalbi Soup,” and at older traditional establishments, “Degutan Soup.” Because they all look red and spicy, many guests wonder what sets them apart and end up ordering the same item every visit.

In fact, these three classic soups feature different ingredients, cuts of beef, seasoning bases, and historical origins. In particular, “Degutan” (or Tegutan) was an absolute staple in yakiniku restaurants 30 years ago, but due to its double meaning and complex preparation, it has largely disappeared from modern menus. Today, I would like to explain the differences between Yukkejang, Kalbi Soup, and Degutan, the history behind Degutan’s disappearance, and how Kuro5 prepares our signature soups.

1. More Than Just Spicy Red Soup: The Deep World of Classic Yakiniku Soups

Yakiniku soups are more than simple salt or soy broths; they carry a rich tradition of chili spice and savory seasonings. Simply using the same spicy base with different toppings does not produce authentic chef-quality results.

Some soups are designed to complement the rich fat of grilled beef, while others highlight the natural sweetness of vegetables or the deep umami of bones and seafood. Understanding these distinctions allows you to select the ideal finish to your meal. Let us examine the craftsmanship and history behind these classic red soups.

2. The Icon of Spicy-Savory Soup: The Origin of “Yukkejang” and Its Beef & Vegetable Mix

The most famous spicy yakiniku soup is “Yukkejang.”

Its name carries an interesting history. In Korean, “Yuk” means beef. The term “Kejang” originally referred to a spicy soup made by boiling dog meat with vegetables for summer stamina. Over time, beef replaced dog meat as the primary ingredient, and the dish became known as “Yukkejang” (beef-based Kejang).

Yukkejang features shredded beef (often hand-pulled trim) and vegetables (bean sprouts, bracken/zenmai, green onions, chives) sautéed in Korean gochujang chili paste, garlic, sesame oil, and red chili flakes before being simmered in rich broth. The natural sweetness of the vegetables balances the heat of the chili, creating a thick, spicy-savory broth. It is a hearty, vegetable-rich soup designed to be enjoyed as a meal in itself.

3. Chunky Beef in a Soy-Base: The Origin of “Kalbi Soup” and Its Mild Richness

Another favorite alongside Yukkejang is “Kalbi Soup” (Kalbi-tang). While both are often served red and spicy in Japan, their composition is very different.

As the name suggests, “Kalbi” refers to beef short ribs. Unlike Yukkejang, which features shredded beef and abundant vegetables, Kalbi Soup highlights large, chunky portions of bone-in short rib or rib meat.

In terms of seasoning, Kalbi Soup uses a simple soy sauce or salt base rather than gochujang, letting the natural beef flavor shine. The ribs are slow-simmered for hours until the meat slides off the bone, releasing rich fat and collagen into the broth. It features a milder heat and a comforting sweetness from the rib fat. Vegetables are kept to a minimum (typically radish or green onions), keeping the focus entirely on the tender beef ribs.

4. A Yakiniku Staple 30 Years Ago: Why Has “Degutan” Disappeared From Menus?

In Japanese yakiniku restaurants during the late Showa and early Heisei eras, the three major soups were Yukkejang, Kalbi Soup, and “Degutan” (Tegutan). If you dined at yakiniku establishments 30 years ago, you likely remember seeing it on the menu. Today, however, Degutan has vanished from most locations.

This disappearance occurred due to three main factors:

• “Customer confusion regarding what the dish actually contained”
• “A decline in demand for spicy seafood broths at yakiniku restaurants”
• “The labor-intensive prep work required to shred the meat, which exceeded kitchen cost limits”
• “The double meaning of the name ‘Degutan’ in Korean culinary history”

5. Cod Fish vs. Tail Beef: The Double Meaning of “Degu” and Daegu Region History

The primary cause of confusion with Degutan is its etymology, which has two completely separate origins.

Origin 1: The Korean Word for “Cod” (Degu)
In Korean, cod fish is called “Degu” (대구). Therefore, in traditional Korean cuisine, “Degutan” (대구탕) refers to a spicy, clean cod fish soup simmered with cod fillets, radish, and water dropwort (seri). It is similar to a spicy Japanese cod hot pot.

Origin 2: The Daegu (Degu) Region Beef Tail Soup
On the other hand, the Daegu (대구) region in southeastern Korea was famous for a local dish made by slow-simmering beef tail meat and vegetables in a spicy, Yukkejang-style broth. This regional soup was also called “Degutan” (soup of Daegu).

When these two dishes were imported to Japan, they created confusion. Some yakiniku restaurants served “spicy cod fish soup” as Degutan, while others served “spicy shredded beef tail soup.” Guests could never be certain if they would receive fish or beef when ordering. Over time, fish soup proved unpopular among yakiniku diners, and the labor required to shred beef tail meat was high, leading most Japanese restaurants to drop Degutan from their menus.

6. Sourcing No Cheap Belly Ribs: Why Kuro5 Has No Kalbi Soup on the Menu

Guests viewing our menu sometimes ask why we serve Yukkejang but do not offer Kalbi Soup. This decision stems from Kuro5’s commitment to beef quality.

Standard Kalbi Soup uses trimmings or outer cuts of beef belly (Bara). However, Kuro5 does not source beef belly at all.

For our Kalbi plates, we use premium, finely marbled ribeye (rib-roos) rather than standard belly meat to provide our guests with tender, digestible beef. Because we do not carry cheap belly rib cuts, we do not make Kalbi Soup. Instead, we use premium A5 Wagyu ribeye trim in our house-made bone broth base to create our signature Yukkejang.

7. The Core of All Our Soups: Our House-Made Pressure-Cooked Komtan Bone Broth

While Kuro5 does not serve Kalbi Soup, our Yukkejang and Komtan soups deliver exceptional depth. This flavor is built on our house-made Komtan bone broth (bone broth base).

We prepare our broth daily by cracking domestic beef marrow bones (genkotsu) and chicken feet (momiji) to expose the marrow. We then cook them in high-pressure stockpots at temperatures exceeding 100°C to emulsify the marrow, collagen, and amino acids into a milky-white broth.

We do not use dairy or additives to artificially whiten our broth; its color and texture come purely from extracted marrow. This rich bone broth base cushions the heat of the chili in our Yukkejang, balancing the spice with a smooth, savory beef marrow finish.

8. Comparison: 3 Key Differences Between Yukkejang, Kalbi Soup, and Degutan

9. Recreate Chef Quality at Home: Ordering Our Frozen “Rich Soup” Bone Broth

Our pressure-cooked Komtan bone broth serves as the foundation of Kuro5’s soups. To let guests enjoy this marrow broth at home, we offer our premium delivery product: “Rich Soup.”

Prepared in pressure stockpots using the same beef marrow bones as our restaurant soup, “Rich Soup” is frozen to preserve its natural amino acids and collagen with zero artificial additives or preservatives. Thaw and heat the pack, then add gochujang, beef trim, and vegetables to recreate Kuro5-style Yukkejang at home, or enjoy it plain to support digestion and wellness.

You can order “Rich Soup” directly from our official Rakuten store via the link below.

Order Kuro5 “Rich Soup” on Rakuten Here

10. Conclusion: Knowing Soup Differences Makes Your Yakiniku Finish Even More Enjoyable

Yakiniku soups carry interesting culinary histories. Even a simple bowl of soup represents a thoughtful combination of meat cuts, regional cooking styles, and historical developments.

While Kuro5 does not serve Kalbi Soup because we choose not to source standard beef belly, we offer our signature Yukkejang made with A5 Wagyu ribeye trim and pressure-cooked bone broth.

We invite you to visit Kuro5 Honten, Higashiguchi, or Kabukicho tonight. Complete your yakiniku dinner with a bowl of our signature Yukkejang soup, and enjoy the difference.

• Charcoal Yakiniku Kuro5 Honten
  1F Nishi-Ikebukuro Bldg, 2-46-3 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo / 5 min walk from JR Ikebukuro Station
• Charcoal Yakiniku Kuro5 Higashiguchi
  1F Tsukiji Bldg, 1-42-16 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo / 3 min walk from JR Ikebukuro Station East Exit
• Charcoal Yakiniku Kuro5 Kabukicho
  1F Sankyo Akagawa Bldg, 2-21-4 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo