Korean sundae (순대, also spelled soondae) is a traditional blood sausage made by stuffing pig or cow intestines with a mixture of pork or beef blood, glutinous rice, sweet potato starch noodles, and vegetables. Despite sharing a name with the ice cream dessert, it has nothing in common with it. Sundae is one of Korea’s most popular street foods and has been eaten for centuries during holidays, family gatherings, and festivals.
The Core Ingredients
The filling inside sundae starts with animal blood, typically pork. About two cups of blood go into a standard batch, giving the sausage its dark color and rich, mineral flavor. The blood acts as both a binding agent and a source of iron-heavy protein.
Mixed into the blood are two starches that give sundae its distinctive chewy texture. Glutinous (sweet) rice, soaked in water for at least an hour before use, provides a sticky, soft base. Sweet potato starch vermicelli, the same glass noodles used in japchae, add a springy bite that contrasts with the rice. Together, these fillers make sundae noticeably starchier than European blood sausages like black pudding or boudin noir, which rely more heavily on oats or breadcrumbs.
The seasoning is simple: chopped scallions, minced garlic, fresh ginger, and toasted sesame seeds. Some recipes fold in finely minced pork or beef as well, though the vegetable and starch filling is the more common street food version.
The Casing
Traditional sundae uses cleaned pig or cow small intestines as the casing. Preparing natural intestines is the most labor-intensive part of the process. They need to be thoroughly rinsed, turned inside out, scraped, and soaked to remove any residual odor. Some home cooks and smaller vendors substitute commercial sausage casings, which require less preparation but produce a thinner, less traditional texture.
Once the casing is ready, the filling (rice, noodles, blood, and seasonings mixed together by hand) is packed inside and tied off at both ends. The stuffed sausage is then steamed rather than grilled or fried, which keeps it moist and gives it a soft, almost pudding-like consistency throughout.
Regional Variations
Not all sundae is made the same way. The version most people encounter at street stalls in Seoul uses the pork blood and glass noodle filling described above, but regional styles can differ dramatically. In some coastal areas, squid is used as the casing instead of intestines, creating a dish called ojingeo sundae. Certain recipes substitute barley or regular short-grain rice for glutinous rice, and some northern Korean traditions include tofu or cabbage in the filling.
Abai sundae, a specialty associated with refugees from North Korea’s Hamgyeong province, uses a larger section of intestine and a filling heavy on tofu and vegetables, resulting in a milder, less blood-forward flavor.
How Sundae Is Served
At Korean street food stalls, steamed sundae is sliced into thick rounds and served on a plate alongside steamed organ meats, most commonly liver (gan) and lung (heopa). You dip the slices into a mixture of salt and ground perilla seed, or sometimes into a tteokbokki-style spicy sauce.
Sundae also appears in heartier dishes. Sundae-guk is a soup built around sliced sundae, other offal, and pork in a rich, milky bone broth. It is a full meal, served with rice on the side, and especially popular in winter. Sundae-bokkeum is a stir-fried version tossed with vegetables and a sweet-spicy sauce. In both cases, the sundae itself is the same steamed sausage, just prepared differently after steaming.
Taste and Texture
If you have never tried blood sausage before, sundae is a gentle introduction. The flavor is mild and savory rather than intensely metallic. The glutinous rice and glass noodles dominate the texture, making each bite chewy and starchy with a subtle richness from the blood. The sesame and scallion come through as background notes. The casing adds a slight snap when you bite into it, similar to a natural-casing hot dog but softer.
The overall experience is closer to eating a stuffed dumpling than a Western-style sausage. The starch-heavy filling means sundae feels more like a carbohydrate than a meat product, which is part of why it works so well as a quick, filling street snack. A single serving at a market stall typically costs a few thousand won (a few dollars) and comes with enough slices to share.
Food Safety Considerations
Because sundae contains blood and organ-derived casings, proper handling matters. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety found that bacterial counts in sundae can exceed safe thresholds during the mixing and filling stages of production, particularly in small-scale operations. The study recommended stricter separation of washing and preparation areas and better worker sanitation. For consumers, this mostly means buying sundae from busy vendors with high turnover (freshly steamed and served hot) rather than pre-packaged versions that may have sat at inconsistent temperatures. Freshly steamed sundae that is eaten promptly poses minimal risk.