Get to know Oi Naengguk, Cold Cucumber Soup for Hot Korean-style

Koreans have a variety of cold foods to eat when the weather is hot, one of which is oi naengguk or cold cucumber soup.

According to Serious Eats , cold cucumber soup used to be used as lunch by Koreans when they farmed. They eat cold cucumber soup like drinking water.

The main ingredient of cold cucumber soup is Korean cucumber which has thin skin and has little or no seeds.

The seasoning for cold cucumber soup is fairly simple, namely joseon ganjang or Korean soy sauce, yangjo or brown rice vinegar, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds as a topping.

Cold cucumber soup is not cooked over a fire, all the ingredients are mixed with cold water and ice cubes. 

The key to the deliciousness of cold cucumber soup

Korean cucumbers are not familiar in Indonesia, so you can use Japanese cucumbers or small cucumbers which are usually used as fresh vegetables.

This is because large cucumbers that are usually found in Indonesia have too thick skin and too many seeds.

Cucumbers that have been washed, cut lengthwise. You can use the help of a drawstring tool.

Besides Korean Cucumber, the key to the deliciousness of Korean Cucumber Soup lies in Joseon Ganjang . Traditional Korean version of soy sauce made from pure soybeans.

If there is no joseon ganjang , you can use ganjang or soy sauce available in the Indonesian market.

Instead, use light soy sauce to make the cucumber soup look more attractive. If the available soy sauce is dark, reduce the amount then add salt and ice cubes.

In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, cold cucumber soup can also be added with dried seaweed, onions, and carrots. 

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