Clear, reviving broth simmered from pollock—fresh, semi-dried, or the fully dried form known as yellow pollock—with firm tofu, soybean sprouts, and a finish of sesame oil. The result is a lean, almost silken soup that Yanbian Korean-Chinese households reach for after a cold night or a heavy meal.
Yanbian's Korean-Chinese communities carried the pollock-soup tradition from the Korean Peninsula, where the fish has been a cold-weather staple for centuries. Alaska pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) inhabits North Pacific cold waters and is regarded as Korea's national fish, appearing in the kitchen fresh, salted, semi-dried (as yellow pollock), and fully freeze-dried. As Korean migrants settled Yanbian from the 1880s onward they adapted the dish to local Northeast Chinese produce—fat soybean sprouts and firm tofu—while preserving the original clear-simmered technique.
Mild, milky broth; fish that flakes apart at the lightest touch; soybean sprouts give a clean crunch; a thread of sesame oil warms the finish.
Pollock is a lean white-fleshed fish rich in type-I collagen concentrated in skin and bones. During simmering, this collagen hydrolyzes into gelatin, giving the broth its silky, slightly viscous body without added starch. Glutamate from the fish flesh and inosinate from its muscle cells synergize to produce pronounced umami. Semi-dried yellow pollock concentrates these compounds significantly—dehydration raises the free-amino-acid-to-protein ratio—so its broth delivers noticeably more intense flavor than fresh fish alone.
Variations
1. Spicy version: gochugaru and kimchi added to the broth for a fiery red soup. 2. Milt version: pollock milt (fish flower) added for a creamier, richer texture and deeper umami. 3. Winter melon version: winter melon replaces tofu for a lighter, cooling summer soup.
On the Palate
Where Pollock Soup sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
6 steps · 15 min
- 15 min
Clean and cut pollock into large chunks; if using semi-dried yellow pollock, soak in cold water for 20 minutes until pliable, then drain.
- 22 min
Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat; add sliced garlic and green onion and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 32 min
Add the fish pieces and lightly sear each side for 30 seconds to set the surface proteins.
- 45 min
Pour in cold water or light stock (about 1.2 litres); bring to a rolling boil over high heat for 3 minutes to develop the characteristic milky-white colour.
Watch outKeep it at a hard rolling boil three minutes to develop the milky-white colour — the churn emulsifies the fat; a gentle simmer leaves it thin and clear.
- 510 min
Reduce heat to a medium simmer; add rinsed soybean sprouts and cubed firm tofu; cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes.
Watch outSear the fish thirty seconds a side to set the surface before liquid goes in — that firm skin keeps the delicate flesh from breaking up.
- 61 min
Season with salt; drizzle with sesame oil; scatter sliced green onion over the top and serve immediately.
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