[Food]

[Food] Nakji (Poulp / small octopus, 낙지)

There's an exotic food in Korea as tasty as deep-fried tarantula legs in Cambodia: Nakji (poulp / small octopus), which is caught in the sea off of the west coast of the Korean peninsula. Nakji is very well-known because Koreans usually enjoy eating the moving legs of nakji, which wiggle a lot.

Even though they are cut and chopped off, their nerves are still active so their legs keep moving and wiggle. Its sucker even sticks to your insides and the roof of your mouth, which makes you feel sorry for eating them alive. I'm sure you don't have the guts to eat live nakji, so there are some alternative ways for cooking nakji :)

Given that nakji's flesh is very chewy and full of protein, it's very nice when stir-fried with spicy sauce, grilled and boiled. Nakji-bokkeum (Stir-fried spicy poulp) and Yeonpo-tang (Poulp soup) are typical dishes of nakji.

Nakji-bokkeum (Stir-fried spicy poulp) is a very spicy and savory dish,l which Koreans love eating with soju (Korean rice wine). It goes really well with pork belly, bean sprout and rice.

Yeonpo-tang (Nakji soup) is very mild, full of seafood and savory with clean soup and a lot of vegetables. It's the best choice for people who cannot eat hot and spicy food because they can enjoy nakji without any risk :)

Nakji is also named 'food for men' in Korea because it provides one with stamina and taurine which helps people recover from fatigue. No wonder many people love it :)

Bon Appétit!

 [Food]

[Food] Agwi-jjim (Steamed Monkfish, 아귀찜)

We all know that we should not 'judge a book by its cover' but people usually do when they encounter many things in the world. However, I would recommend you do not judge food by its looks, if you ever visit Korea. You will see ugly ingredients often tasting very delicious.

Agwi (Monkfish, 아귀) is a typical ugly-looking fish that is caught in the east coast of the Korean peninsula. In the past, it was usually thrown back into the sea or used as fertilizer or cooked in the form of soup for poor people, but it turned out to be an excellent seafood side dish for soju-drinkers after one old lady with a lump in her face in Masan city cooked monkfish into a steamed dish with Korean spices.

February is the best season for eating agwi-jjim (steamed monkfish) because they are usually fed up and fat before March and April, which are their breeding season. The flesh of monkfish is very chewy and full of high protein and vitamin A with abundant zinc and iron. In particular, agwi-ae (liver of monkfish) contains soft fat; its texture is very silky so people call it 'Foie gras of the sea'. Please don't miss it or others will take it before you do. Monkfish is among the most expensive fish in Korea these days.

The chopped meat of monkfish is steamed, then mixed with warty sea squirts, spicy and sticky sauce, bean sprouts and water parsley. Masan is the origin of agwi-jjim, but Gangneung is also famous for agwi-jjim that is made of freshly caught monkfish. Today agwi-jjim is a typical home meal in Gangneung. Its only difference with Masan style agwi-jjim is more shitake mushroom and water parsley.

Bon Appétit!

 [Food]

[Food] Gejang (게장, Marinated Crab)

Koreans have loved marinated and fermented food for a long time, particularly when it comes to seafood. Seafood couldn't be stored for a long time so they invented recipes that could do so preventing them from becoming rotten and stale.

Gejang (게장, Marinated Crab) is a traditional Korean marinating recipe which marinates live crab caught in the autumn (usually blue crab caught from the West Sea, but freshwater crab can be used too) in soy sauce with garlic and spicy chili, to be eaten the following summer as a side dish. It can be marinated in spicy chili sauce too but Koreans usually prefer soy-sauce marinated crab because it's more savory and has a deeper flavor of crab.

Recipes of gejang were written in many traditional cookbooks in Korea since the 1600s (Chosun Dynasty), but some people argue that gejang was eaten even before then. Gyeongsang (South-east region), Jeonra (South-west region) and Jeju Island are all famous for gejang, and each region has its own recipe with its unique ingredients and style.

Ganjang Gejang (Soy sauce marinated crab)

Yangnyeom Gejang (Spicy sauce marinated crab)

The flesh, intestines and egg of a crab is very soft, silky and even slimy with a savory, salty and sea-like flavor. Because of its salty and savory flavor, Koreans usually call it 'Babdoduk', which means 'Rice Thief' in Korean, because it makes people eat more quantities and more rapidly than other dishes.

However, people (including Koreans) usually think gejang looks gross and too exotic with its fishy smell, so it is a food of strong likes and dislikes.

Saewoojang (Marinated shrimp, same recipe with gejang but different ingredient)

Typical Korean meal with gejang and saewoojang

If you think you are a seafood or crab lover, how about trying gejang? It will be a great challenge, but also great fun :)

Bon Appétit!

 [Food]

[Food] Osam Bulgogi (오삼불고기, Squid and Pork Belly Bulgogi)

Americans who usually live in Hawaii and the east and west coasts enjoy a dish called 'Surf and Turf' which is a combo of seafood and meat, cooked lobster and thick juicy steak.

In Korea, there is a combo dish of seafood and meat, too, though it's not as fancy as lobster and grilled steak. It's a very popular and liked common dish that you can enjoy in most Korean restaurants.

It's a combo of stir fried squid and pork belly in spicy chili sauce which Koreans call Osam Bulgogi (O for Ojing-uh - Squid in Korean, and Sam for Samgyeopsal - Pork belly). It means Bulgogi is made of squid and pork belly, but is spicy. Bulgogi usually means stir fried soy-sauce marinated meat but it can also mean spicy stir fried meat.

Osam bulgogi was first invented in a restaurant in Daegwallyeong Pass, Pyeongchang city, which is a gateway between the eastern and western regions of Gangwon. Fresh squid from the East Sea and pork, vegetables and mushroom from the western region of Gangwon were cooked into Osam Bulgogi with a spicy sauce that most Koreans love.

The chewy and savory taste of squid goes very well with juicy pork and fresh vegetables. It's one of the best side dishes for liquor and rice. Although I'm not a big fan of squid, I like to eat osam bulgogi for lunch :)

If you want to indulge in fresh seafood and juicy meat, how about osam bulgogi today?

Bon Appétit!

 [Food]

[Food] Chueo-tang (추어탕, Loach Soup)

What do you usually think of loach or mudfish? Maybe nothing or 'eww, slippery' but can you imagine there being people who love to eat loach as soup? Yes, Koreans eat loach as soup. It's been eaten for a long time (more than 1,000 years) usually by people of low social status such as slaves and servants, but people of high social status also ate it, secretly at night. Eventually, Korean nobles and aristocrats ate it. Can you think why? :)

Oriental loach. By Manoel Jr. - https://www.flickr.com/photos/13809278@N07/15375639675, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77757241

According to many traditional Korean medical and cuisine books, loach is very effective for providing 'stamina and energy' (particularly for men). Loach's Korean name is 'Chueo' which means 'autumn fish' because Korean loach usually lives in a rice paddy (brook and creek too), and Koreans eat them in autumn after removing all the water from the rice paddy to harvest :)

It smells very fishy and muddy so strong seasonings (Chinese pepper, spicy chili, garlic etc.) must be used to cook them to remove their unique odor. There two styles of cooking Chueo-tang (추어탕, loach soup), which are middle part (Seoul and Gaeseong)-style that use loach in whole and south part (Jeolla and Gyeongsang province)-style that grind whole loach. Well, I prefer south part-style Chueo-tang because I don't want to chew big chunks of loach in my mouth :)

It just looks like common doenjang-jjigae (Korean bean-paste stew) but it tastes uniquely like loach - savory and spicy. It also fills you with stamina and energy, so why don't you try? It may turn you into an 'Energizer' :)

By the way, the most famous chueo-tang restaurant is 'Yonggeumok' in Seoul which even North Korean VIPs ask whether it's still running because they miss the taste it had before the Korean War :)

Bon Appétit!

 [Food]

[Food] Hoedeopbap (회덮밥, Raw Fish Bibimbap)

Culture is a way of life so it always changes, flows elsewhere and forms new cultures. We can even think of 'stem culture' (this is beginning to sound somewhat like a virus!). Hoedeopbap(회덮밥, Raw Fish Bibimbap) is a result of Korean and Japanese food culture; born of raw fish and topped rice (Japanese) and bibimbap (Korean mix rice). I'm sure that the Japanese never thought Koreans would bring culture into their country and make it into bibimbap.

It's a very simple, quick, tasty and exotic (for non-Koreans) food. Grab a bowl containing steamed rice, chop vegetables (carrot, pickled radish, cabbage, lettuce, roasted sea weed, cucumber etc.) and put them into the bowl. Also, top it with raw fish (or raw seafood likewise squid, calamari, shrimp, prawn etc.). The most important ingredient to spice it up is chogochujang(초고추장, sour Korean chili paste). You can buy pre-made chogochujang or make it yourself by mixing Korean chili paste and vinegar. Koreans prefer to dip raw fish fillet so it's a given that they'll use chogochujang even for hoedeopbap.

Hoedeopbap is a typical dish found in every seafood restaurant in Korea. They usually use shark fillet cubes, squid, calamari, salmon, sole, flounder, rock fish, sea squirt and flying fish roe for everyday hoedeopbap. Abalone, octopus, sea urchin roe and tuna are added to make expensive hoedeopbap. However, it's surprising that no one knows who and how hoedeopbap was made in Korea for the very first time. Regardless, there's no doubt that hoedeopbap is one of the most popular seafood dishes in Korea :)

Bon Appétit!

[Food] Mulhoe (물회, Cold Raw Fish Soup)

 [Food]

[Food] Mulhoe (물회, Cold Raw Fish Soup)

Many world foods such as Kebob and Dutch Coffee originated on sea ships with traders and fishermen who lacked a selection of many choices of nutritious meals on long-distance travel across the vast ocean.

Meanwhile, in Korea, fishermen who had to spend more than a half a day in a small ship (or chug boat) without a 'kitchen' couldn't eat well. They had to work from very early morning till the afternoon but didn't have much time to relax at lunchtime. So they made a very quick meal that can be easily cooked on any ship.

Grab any bowl and slice freshly caught fish and shells into a fillet, and throw them into a bowl. Then pour cold water, chopped vegetables, gochujang (Korean red chili paste) and some ice cubes. Yes, raw fish is already exotic and this mulhoe (물회, cold raw fish soup) is even more exotic :) You can find mulhoe in any seafood restaurant in the eastern and southern coasts of South Korea because any fish can be used for mulhoe. Flounder, rock fish, snapper, sole, squid, or sea cucumber; it really doesn't matter as long as it's not stale :)

These days, some restaurants even use expensive seafoods such as abalone, sea urchin roe, coral fish to upgrade to a unique marine dish and to satisfy gourmets.

If you consider yourself a big fan of seafood and even raw fish, how about trying mulhoe? It might be challenging but it may just suit your palate :)

Bon Appétit!

 [Food]

[Food] Ojingeo-bokkeum (오징어볶음, Stir-fried Squid)

I'm not really a big fan of marine cephalopoda (squid, octopus, cuttlefish etc.) because I have a stereotype that they are usually very fishy and stinky more than any other seafood, unless they are just-caught and fresh. They were usually in a poor condition when I ate them at the school cafeteria or a mess hall because they had to be frozen coming all the way from the coast before being cooked.

Nevertheless, I really like two types of dish among squid-like foods, deep-fried and spicy stir-fried style under the condition that ingredients are not smelly and are very fresh. So today's menu is Ojingeo-bokkeum (오징어볶음, Stir-fried Squid).

Many Korean restaurants sell Korean-style ojingeo-bokkeum with spicy sauce and vegetables. They stir-fry chopped squid with garlic, spring onion, carrot, onion, spicy chili paste and powder for customers who love spice :)

Ojingeo-bokkeum in Korean-style Chinese restaurant

Osam-bulgogi (Stir-fried ojingeo and pork belly)

When you cook ojingeo-bokkeum, what's key is the freshness of squid and the sauce. You can peel the outer skin of a squid to get rid of its smell, but if it is a bit stale from the beginning then it will turn into smelly ojingeo-bokkeum. The ojingeo-bokkeum sauce should be spicy and haut gout (palatable), so each restaurant has its own secret sauce recipe for ojingeo-bokkeum. Freshly caught squid gives a chewy and savory flavor without the fishy smell, and spicy seasoning completes the taste with a spicy chili flavor.

Ojingeo-dupbap (Stir-fried squid topped rice bowl)

Ojingeo-bokkeum is one of the very typical Korean dishes that you can easily find and eat because it was an inexpensive and common dish before climate change led to a decrease in squid catch. But it's still a beloved dish in Korea :)

Bon Appétit!

 [Food]

[Food] Patjuk (팥죽, Red Bean Porridge)

Once upon a time, during ancient China's Qin dynasty, there was a man named Gong-gong. He had one son, but this son was the biggest troublemaker in town. One day, Gong-gong served red bean porridge for his son because the Chinese proverb reads, 'You really become one year older when you eat a bowl of red bean porridge on Dongji (the 12th month of the lunar calendar)' but this son knocked the red bean porridge away and stormed out of the house. Soon after, someone in town informed Gong-gong that his son had drowned in the town's well when he was trying to spoil the well. After the death of Gong-gong's son, a mysterious plague ravaged the town and started killing mercilessly. Gong-gong thought that the plague was related to his son's death and that his son had become the god of plague. Gong-gong recalled his son hating red bean porridge, so he spread and covered every house, door and well in town with red bean porridge. Right after, the plague ceased and people recovered. This legend has been passed down generations and makes known that red bean porridge has the power to drive out spiritual beings including ghosts, the god of plague, goblins and so on. Therefore, even today, people eat red bean porridge and cover their doors, storerooms and wells with it to protect themselves from the plague and malicious spiritual beings.

The legend of red bean porridge originated from China and has spread to Korea and Japan, so the three countries in far-east Asia all have a culture of eating red bean porridge on Dongji, and also commonly eat it in the winter season :) It's one of my favorite porridges too.

It's obvious that there are a few legends in Korea of people driving out goblins with red bean porridge. Actually, red bean warms the body, raising one's body temperature when eaten (which aids protection from disease) so it's no wonder there is a red bean porridge legend that kicks out any god of plague and protects people from vicious spirits.

There are two styles of patjuk, one with whole red bean and another with fully grounded red bean :) If you want a crunchy and savory flavor, choose whole red bean style; if you want a silky and soft one, choose the grounded one :) Moreover, some regions eat it either with or without sugar, so if you don't like a sweet taste then you'd better check whether the porridge comes with or without sugar before ordering :)

All three countries put sticky white rice balls into red bean porridge and those rice balls mean 'getting 1 year older'. Sticky rice balls are very necessary for red bean porridge :)

Patjuk is a very friendly, common and cheap food for Koreans :) You can easily find patjuk in any traditional market in Korea :) So, if you are visiting Korea in the winter season, how about trying a bowl of patjuk with sticky rice balls?

Bon Appétit!