Anchovy broth
Korean base stock made from dried anchovies, usually simmered with kombu kelp; savoury, briny, lightly fishy.
Anchovy broth, in Korean myeolchi yuksu, is the base stock for many Korean soups, stews and noodle soups. It is simmered from small dried anchovies and dried kelp, often with radish, onion or dried shiitake added. It tastes deeply savoury and of the sea, yet far milder and less salty than the oil-packed anchovy fillets the name brings to mind in the West. With larger anchovies the heads and guts are removed, and the broth is not boiled too long, otherwise it turns bitter and cloudy. Dried anchovies and kelp are sold in Asian grocery shops and by mail order, which also carry ready-made broth sachets for simmering as well as powder or cubes.
Substitute:
The closest substitute is Japanese dashi made from kombu and bonito flakes, though it is smokier and more delicate. European fish stock is too heavy and tastes different, and oil-packed anchovy fillets make the broth salty and oily rather than rounded. A broth of kombu and dried shiitake gives a vegetarian version, but it lacks the fishy depth.