Survey: Noodle dish Jjambbong contains highest in sodium

A recent survey shows that jjambbong, spicy soup noodle with seafood, contains the highest amount of sodium among dishes served at diners in Korea.

According to the survey carried out by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on 315 kinds of Korean food served at restaurants and diners, jjambbong is the highest in sodium with 4,000 mg per serving (1,000 grams). This amount is two times higher than the recommended sodium intake per day (2,000 mg) by the World Health Organization. Also included in the top 5 were Chinese white noodle udon (3,396 mg), yeolmu naengmyeon or cold buckwheat noodles with young summer radish kimchi (3,152 mg) and kimchi udon (2,875 mg).

The survey shows that those who want to lose their weight better avoid boiled pork slices, if possible. Calorie of boiled pork slices turned out to be the highest at 1,206 calories (per serving of 300 grams). This accounts for more than half of 2,400 calories, the recommended calorie intake for a male adult. Other foods in the top 5 are pork back-bone stew (960 Cal), grilled spareribs (941Cal), Korean chicken soup (918 Cal) and seafood pasta with cream sauce (918 Cal).

The ministry advised that health-conscious individuals better eat solid ingredients out of soup, rather than having all of the soup, as soup-based dishes are generally high in sodium.