Deul-kkae Tang: The Quiet Comfort of Perilla Seed Soup in Temple Food
Not all food is meant to impress. Some meals are meant to comfort, to restore, and to quietly bring the body and mind back into balance. In Korean temple food, deul-kkae tang , perilla seed soup, represents this softer purpose of eating. After the crisp satisfaction of shiitake mushroom gangjeong, deul-kkae tang shifts the emotional tone of the meal. It is warm, gentle, and deeply grounding. This is not a dish that demands attention. It invites stillness. In temple cuisine, nourishment is not about intensity. It is about care. Understanding Deul-kkae: The Essence of Perilla Seeds Perilla seeds may be unfamiliar to many outside Korea, but they have long held an important place in traditional cooking. Slightly larger and more aromatic than sesame seeds, perilla seeds offer a naturally nutty and earthy flavor. When ground and simmered, they release a creamy richness without the need for dairy or heavy fats. This quality makes them especially valued in temple food, where animal p...