🌱 A Taste of Korean Countryside: Snail Soup with Garden-Fresh Chives

Discover Dasulgi-guk (Korean snail soup), a traditional countryside recipe made with freshwater snails, garden-fresh chives, garlic, and Korean soybean paste (doenjang). Known as a natural hangover cure and liver-friendly comfort soup, this dish brings the authentic taste of Korean home cooking to your kitchen.

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When you leave the busy cities of Korea and step into the countryside, you’ll find humble dishes that carry the soul of rural life. One such dish is Dasulgi-guk (다슬기국) — a light, refreshing soup made with freshwater snails.

In my own kitchen, I prepared this soup with snails gathered from a nearby stream and chives picked straight from my garden. Nothing complicated, just a few ingredients, but every spoonful connects me back to the land and to old traditions.

 

“Fresh chives harvested straight from my garden.”

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🥬 What You’ll Need (Serves 3–4)

• 200g (about 7 oz) cleaned snail meat (pre-boiled)
• 1.5 liters (7 cups) of broth from boiling snails (or plain water)
• 1 tbsp Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• A handful of fresh chives (about 50g)

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🐚 Preparing the Snails

Freshwater snails are a classic ingredient in Korean countryside cooking.
I first boiled the snails, then removed the shells and little pads, keeping only the tender meat.

👉 The broth from boiling the snails is the real treasure. It brings out the soup’s clean and refreshing flavor.

“Freshwater snails gathered from a nearby stream.”

“After boiling, you have to remove the shells and pads and leave only tender snail meat.”

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🍲 How to Cook It

1. In a pot, add 7 cups of snail broth and stir in 1 tbsp of soybean paste.
2. Once it boils, add 200g of snail meat.
3. Stir in 1 tbsp of minced garlic and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Finally, add a handful of chopped chives, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

🔑 Tip: Don’t overcook the snails. A short simmer keeps them tender and flavorful.

“Adding chopped chives at the very end to keep their fragrance alive.”

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🍚 Why This Soup Matters

For generations, Koreans have turned to Dasulgi-guk as a source of strength and comfort:

• Farmers ate it to restore energy after long days of work.
• Families served it to soothe the stomach.
• Even today, it’s loved as one of Korea’s best natural hangover cures.

For me, it’s the taste of summer by the stream, mixed with the aroma of fresh chives in the kitchen.

“Boiling the snails to create a light, flavorful broth.”

“A warm bowl of Korean snail soup — simple, comforting, and refreshing.”

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🌿 Health Benefits of Freshwater Snail Soup

In Korea, Dasulgi-guk has long been valued not only as food but also as a natural health remedy:

• Liver support – Helps detoxify the liver and repair damaged liver cells.
• Energy boost – Rich in taurine and amino acids, it restores strength and reduces fatigue.
• Digestive relief – Naturally cooling, it calms stomach heat and eases bloating.
• Hangover cure – A traditional remedy for headaches and nausea after drinking.
• Low-calorie, high-protein – Light in calories but packed with protein, making it a guilt-free source of nutrition.

👉 That’s why Koreans often say:
“Nothing cures a hangover like a bowl of snail soup.”
It has become one of the most iconic countryside dishes for restoring energy and balance.

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🍶 A Little Story from My Kitchen

My husband enjoys drinking, and sometimes he comes home with a heavy head the next morning.
On those days, I often make this snail soup for him.
It’s light but nourishing, and he always says it clears his stomach and leaves him refreshed.

For us, this soup isn’t just a recipe — it’s an everyday way of caring for each other.

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🌸 Closing Note

Simple ingredients, but an unforgettable taste.
If you want to experience a bowl of authentic Korean countryside cooking, try making this at home.
It’s comforting, healthy, and full of stories passed down through generations.