A couple of months ago, I received an e-mail from a reader named Carolyn requesting a Korean tofu soup. She said that whenever she feels sick she runs over to a Korean takeout in 'Aina Haina and buys a hot and spicy soup to cure her ills. Yuggaejang is the soup that I normally order when I feel under the weather. Traditionally, this recipe is made with beef brisket, green onions, hot red pepper paste, hot red pepper powder, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and tofu. She wanted a healthier version and a soup stock that does not contain MSG.

I called my Korean girlfriend, Anna, and she helped me develop this recipe, using chicken instead of beef and ingredients with less sodium. I was able to find most of the ingredients at Palama Market, which specializes in Korean foods. Two very helpful customers helped me find the fernbracken, called kosari in Korean, in the refrigerated section of the market. Fernbracken (or bracken fern) gives the soup additional fiber and flavor.

The botanical name for fernbracken is Pteridium aqualinum and it is similar to the fiddlehead fern. These mountain vegetables are picked in the spring, and may be consumed fresh, or preserved by salting, pickling or sun-drying. Fernbracken is used for food and for herbal remedies in Canada, the United States, Russia, China, Japan, Korea and Brazil.

The butcher was kind enough to show me where the kochujang (hot red pepper paste) and kochu karu (hot red pepper powder) were. Kochujang is a Korean product made from fermented soybean powder, glutinous rice, red pepper and malt. It is used in many Korean dishes.

Anna told me to be very careful to buy the right type of kochujang — "the pure sauce" which does not contain any artificial coloring, cornstarch, vinegar or other additives. A few brands contain MSG; check the label. Store kochujang in the refrigerator once it is opened; it will stay fresh indefinitely.

Kochu karu, or Korean hot red pepper powder, is also used in this soup. The Korean variety is one of the hottest, sweetest and most flavorful powders anywhere. It should be brilliant, flaming red, pungent and sweet smelling. In some stores you can find three grades of the powder. The fine ground is for cooking and making kochujang, course ground for making kim chee and crushed flakes for cooking and garnish. Store in a tightly covered jar or plastic bag in the refrigerator; it stays fresh for several months. Once it losses pungency, discard it.

Fortunately, with the growing awareness of healthier eating, there are many good brands of chicken broth available in the supermarkets and health food stores. The key is reading the label and looking for one without MSG or a high-sodium content. I found Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth at a health food store in Hawai'i Kai — fat-free and no MSG.

I have eaten many different styles of yuggaejang — some with an egg cracked into the soup just before serving, some with long rice. Most of the soups that I have had are bright red in color and are nuclear! If my version is not hot enough for you, add more kochujang and kochu karu.

This makes enough to feed a single person for several days; it might be prudent to freeze some soup for those rainy and sick days. Kamapsumnida ("thank you") to Carolyn for motivating me to write this column.

KOREAN CHICKEN SOUP

• 3 SKINLESS, BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS
• 4 CUPS WATER
• 1 (2-INCH) PIECE OF PEELED AND SMASHED GINGER ROOT
• 8 CUPS LOW-SODIUM CHICKEN BROTH
• 1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS KOCHUJANG (HOT RED PEPPER PASTE)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons kochu karu (hot red pepper powder)
• 1 TEASPOON SESAME OIL
• 2 TABLESPOONS LOW-SODIUM SOY SAUCE
• 6 TO 12 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED
• 4 TO 5 STALKS OF LARGE GREEN ONION
• 1 CUP KOSARI (PACKAGED FERNBRACKEN IN WATER)
• 1 (20-OUNCE) LOW-FAT TOFU, CUBED
• 1/2 POUND BEAN SPROUTS

In a large dutch oven, simmer the chicken breasts and ginger root with 4 cups of water for about 1 hour. Remove chicken with slotted spoon, cool and shred into large pieces. Remove ginger and add the chicken broth to the same pot; bring back to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the kochujang, kochu karu, sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic. Add the pieces of chicken to this mixture and turn to coat. Place the seasoned chicken, green onions and fernbracken in the chicken broth. Cook gently for 15 minutes over medium heat. In the last 10 minutes, add the tofu and bean sprouts to the soup. Serve with steamed brown rice.

Serves 8-10.