Galbi-tang^[  or short rib soup is a variety of guk, or Korean soup, made primarily from beef short ribs along with stewing beef, radish, onions, and other ingredients. The short ribs, or "galbi" also refers to grilled short ribs in Korean barbecue while the suffix tang is another name for guk. Hence, the Korean name literally means "short ribs soup" and is also called garitang, or galitang. The clear and hearty soup is made by slowly simmering galbi in water for a long time^[ and is eaten as a meal. It is similar to seolleongtang, a soup made from the bones of ox legs.

Historical records on galbitang are found in records on table setting for Korean royal court banquets held in the 1890s. However, galbi was assumed to have been eaten since the end of the Goryeo Dynasty (918 – 1392).

Galbitang has been a representative dish served at wedding receptions

Galbitang is a clear soup made with beef short ribs (galbi,) . It’s a hearty, nourishing soup with a delicate flavor. Typically, the ribs are boiled along with Korean radish (mu), onion, garlic, and ginger until fork tender. A good soup soy sauce (guk ganjang) is also important for the flavor of this soup. It’s common to add starch noodles (dangmyeon) to the soup at the end of cooking. Beef short ribs are an expensive cut of meat, so this soup is considered a luxury among Korean soups and often served for special occasions such as wedding receptions.

For me, this soup now holds special meaning. My family suffered the loss of my mother-in-law who passed away a few days before Thanksgiving Day last month. She was 85 years old. She was an incredibly strong lady who endured many hard times, including the Korean war, immigrant life, and most recently cancer and declining health. I visited her 3 days before her passing with a pot of galbitang. I shredded the meat for her and served it with some rice in it. She finished the entire bowl and said it was really good. I had no idea that was going to be the last meal I personally prepared for her.