Korean Food: What to Know About Oritang

When I used to go hiking with the teachers hiking club from the Korean high school that I taught at, afterward we’d find a local restaurant and replenish ourselves. Often the meal would be centered on a hearty stew. One my favorite meals was duck stew, or oritang (오리탕).

If you want to eat some delicious Korean cuisine, find a duck restaurant, it is so delicious. You’ll find them at the foot of numerous mountains. You might have to hunt a bit to find them, but you should. There are some different kinds though I found out recently. Here’s what to know about oritang in Korea.

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What’s the difference between oritang (오리탕) and oribaeksuk (오리백숙)?

Oritang (오리탕) has a thinner broth than oribaeksuk (오리백숙) which tends to be thicker. The thing is, when I order oritang in the Seoul region, it comes out with thick broth but when I head south and order it with my father-in-law, it has the thin broth. He says what we’re eating in the north is actually oribaeksuk. Either way it’s delicious, but I personally like the thicker oribaeksuk version best, at least after a good hike where I’m trying to replenish my energy.

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Oritang vs. oribaeksuk preparation

Oritang is a clear soup made by slowly simmering duck with other vegetables, chili pepper may be added to make it spicier in some regions, and oribaeksuk is a dish made by boiling a duck stuffed with rice for several hours without seasonings and is quite similar to samgyetang or chicken stew except that oribaeksuk doesn’t have the ginseng, chestnuts or jujubes of the chicken stew.

Once it’s finished, the oribaeksuk is simply topped off with some salt and sliced green scallions. I’ll have to order some soon to show the difference, but here is what oritang in the south looks like. Because duck is oilier than other meats, there is a slight film of oil on the top of the broth but the soup is actually light and hydrating.

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Where to eat oritang

Oritang is a local specialty of Gyeonggi Province and South Jeolla Province, especially Gwangju City. In Gwangju, about 20 restaurants specializing in oritang and other duck dishes are centered on Yudong Alley in Buk-gu. That said, you can order it all over the place. In Seoul, you find a lot of oritang/oribaeksuk restaurants at the foot of the mountains where hikers come off the hiking trails and look to eat something. 

In Gwangju

Yeongmi Duck Stew (광주 영미오리탕)

• Address: 102-31 Jungang-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju (광주광역시 북구 유동 102-31)
• Hours: 11:00am ~ 10:00pm (Closed every first Monday of the month)

In Seoul

Yeongmi Duck Stew (Seoul) (서울 영미오리탕_

• Address: 53 Dongil-ro 60-gil, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 광진구 동일로60길 53)
• Hours: 10:00am ~ 10:00pm (open all year round)

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