Jeju & Seogwipo Street Food - Part 1 - Ivan Teh

Jeju & Seogwipo Street Food - Part 1

Jeju & Seogwipo Street Food is part of the larger tapestry of Korean cuisine in South Korea. Unique for being a largely standalone cuisine, with little outside influence, Korean cuisine originated from an agricultural society, and through interaction with the natural environment. Jeju & Seogwipo Street Food differs in several aspects compared to the mainland, and is largely reliant on local produce and farm stock. There is a heavier emphasis on freshness of ingredients, and in the making of soups and stews.

Saengseon-Hoe - Sea Bream

Food in Jeju & Seogwipo can be found along the streets in pushcarts or small cafes, in mid-range restaurants, and fine-dining establishments. Korean cuisine is largely based on rice and legumes, with dishes being heavy on seasoning, and usually include fermented items. As a result, many dishes taste tangy, salty, sour, or spicy. Common ingredients used in many Jeju & Seogwipo and South Korea dishes include white rice, soybeans, tofu / beancurd, Tteok / Dduk / rice cakes, sesame oil, doenjang / fermented soybean paste, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, gochujang / fermented red chili paste, cabbage, barley, buckwheat, mung beans, adzuki red beans, vinegar, onions, pork, mackerel fish, hairtail fish, Pacific herring fish, anchovies, shrimp / prawns, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, abalone, cucumber, potato, sweet potato, spinach, bean sprouts, seaweed, zucchini, mushrooms, tangerines, chili and more.

The Jeju Special Administrative Province in South Korea is reowned for 2 specialities; black pork and fresh seafood. These feature heavily on menus here, to the extent that other options such as chicken or beef are limited, and the quality usually isn't as good. Meals in Jeju & Seogwipo follow the same Korean etiquette, with the eldest normally being served first, dishes laid out on the table in a specific order, and meals eaten in silence.

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The Seolleongtang / Beef Bone Soup is a hearty soup / broth, made by boiling beef leg bones, creating a stock which is translucent in appearance, with a rich meaty savoury sweet flavour. A staple in most households, it's garnished with thin chewy lean beef brisket, rice noodles / white rice, salt, pepper, and chopped spring onions. Simple comfort dish.

Seolleongtang / Beef Bone Soup

Seolleongtang / Beef Bone Soup

The Beer Jeju Wit Ale is a Belgian style Witbier, brewed in Hallim-Eup, Jeju & Seogwipo, Jeju Special Administrative Province, South Korea, using natural spring water and local tangerines. It has a cloudy, pale golden colour, with aromas of orange, wheat, hops, and coriander. Body is light, thin, and smooth, with tastes of tangerine, bread, clove, and lemon. The zesty fruity sweetness is refreshing and thirst-quenching, perfectly matching the climate of the island.

Beer Jeju Wit Ale

The Boiled Pork Hocks is a traditional dish, owing to the premium quality of the local pigs. The pig's trotters are slow boiled with water, light soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and rice wine. Sometimes, spring onions, cinnamon, or leeks are added. The resulting texture is bouncy and gelatinous, with a robust savoury flavour. Served in large communal portions, it's actually eaten to accompany a meal, or as a bar snack.

Boiled Pork Hocks

Boiled Pork Hocks

The Chestnut Bread is a modern confectionery, featuring fluffy soft brioche bread studded with crunchy chestnuts. The flavour is delicate sweet nutty. Crafted and baked by local cafes here.

Chestnut Bread

Chestnut Bread

This South Korean beverage is not a cider per se. Rather, Chilsung Cider is a carbonated soft drink, clear and fizzy, similar to a lemon lime soda. Refreshing when chilled, it has a sticky zesty tangy sour sweet flavour.

Chilsung Cider

A popular side dish here, the Cream Corn features corn kernels tossed in a light butter and mayonnaise, served on a hot plate to keep it warm. Other variations on this add mozzarella cheese, making it more filling.

Cream Corn

Considered an iconic dish of Jeju & Seogwipo, the Cutlassfish Soup / Largehead Hairtail Fish Soup features the island's signature fish - the long, slender, silver skinned cutlassfish / largehead hairtail fish, which has tender flaky fish meat and a delicate sweet savoury flavour. This traditional dish features the fish, simply boiled in water, along with salt, cabbage, kabocha squash, leeks, tofu beancurd, and spring onions. The warm soup / broth is light on the palate, and typically served to round-off a meal.

Cutlassfish Soup / Largehead Hairtail Fish Soup

Cutlassfish Soup / Largehead Hairtail Fish Soup

Cutlassfish Soup / Largehead Hairtail Fish Soup

The Galchi Jorim / Braised Cutlassfish Spicy Stew / Braised Largehead Hairtail Fish Spicy Stew is the spicy stew version of the island's signature dish. It features the cutlassfish / largehead hairtail fish, with its tender flaky texture and delicate sweet savoury flavour, braised with water, salt, tender kabocha squash, tender daikon radish, crisp spring onions, and gochujang / fermented red chili paste. This stewed dish has a strong fishy taste, a robust sweet savoury salty spicy flavour, and a thick gloopy texture to the gravy, which the locals seem to like.

Galchi Jorim / Braised Cutlassfish Spicy Stew / Braised Largehead Hairtail Fish Spicy Stew

Galchi Jorim / Braised Cutlassfish Spicy Stew / Braised Largehead Hairtail Fish Spicy Stew

Galchi Jorim / Braised Cutlassfish Spicy Stew / Braised Largehead Hairtail Fish Spicy Stew

Galchi Jorim / Braised Cutlassfish Spicy Stew / Braised Largehead Hairtail Fish Spicy Stew

Served as a side dish, the Daepa / Asian Leeks features crunchy Asian leeks tossed in a light soy sauce, giving it a bright yet salty flavour. Served to accompany dishes whose flavours are light and clean, providing a nice foil in taste.

Daepa / Asian Leeks

Served as a side dish, the Danhobak / Kabocha Squash features cubes of tender, sweet earthy kabocha squash. The delicate flavour serves to provide a balance to heavier flavoured dishes such as grilled seafood or grilled meats.

Danhobak / Kabocha Squash

The Dweji Bulgogi / Pork Bulgogi features sliced pork loin, marinated in a sauce made from white onions, garlic, ginger, green onions, light soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, gochujang / fermented red chili paste, and sesame oil. The stir-fry results in tender pork loin, with a sweet savoury spicy flavour. Usually wrapped in lettuce before being eaten.

Dweji Bulgogi / Pork Bulgogi

Dweji Bulgogi / Pork Bulgogi

The Eomuk / Fish Cake is a processed snack made from mashed white fish (cod, pollock, flounder, snapper), sugar, salt, onions, all-purpose flour, sweet potato / potato starch, water, and eggs. It has a bouncy soft texture, with a light savoury sweet flavour. Usually added as an ingredient to other dishes.

Eomuk / Fish Cake

Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup

Eomuk / Fish Cake

Eomuk / Fish Cake

The Gogigui / Barbecue is not a dish, but rather a dining experience, aptly named 'Korean Barbecue'. Diners gather around a charcoal grill built into a table, with a ventilation shaft directly overhead, to roast various types of meat. A typical Gogigui / Barbecue is accompanied by Banchan / side dishes, and a dipping sauce such as Gochujang / Fermented Chili Paste.

In Jeju & Seogwipo, the most common and popular meat is black pork. Various cuts are available, such as Teog / Pork Jowl, Samgyeopsal / Pork Belly, and more. All these meats are usually eaten together with Sangchu / Lettuce, where the meat is wrapped within along with gochujang / fermented red chili paste.

The Sangchu / Lettuce lends a gentle refreshing crunch with vegetal sweet flavour. The Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly is chewy and crunchy, with a good balance of fat to lean pork meat, and carries smoky meaty savoury salty flavour.

Sangchu / Lettuce

Teog / Pork Jowl & Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

Teog / Pork Jowl & Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

Teog / Pork Jowl & Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

Teog / Pork Jowl & Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

Sangchu / Lettuce, Put Gochu / Green Chili

Sangchu / Lettuce

Sangchu / Lettuce

Sangchu / Lettuce

Sangchu / Lettuce

Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

Samgyeopsal Gui / Grilled Pork Belly

A traditional dish common to Jeju Special Administrative Province of South Korea, the Gogi-Guksu / Pork Noodles originated due to poor soil conditions for growing white rice. As a result, locals had to adapt to wheat noodles. A culture of giving black pork during happy occasions, coupled with their staple, resulted in this dish. It features long thin wheat noodles with a soft bouncy texture and grainy earthy sweet flavour, garnished with thick slices of tender black pork loin and black pork belly, which is less gamey than regular pork, with a tinge of savoury sweet nutty flavour. Completed with fresh crisp shavings of spring onions, lending vegetal sweet herbal flavour. The hearty, semi-translucent milky soup / broth is made by boiling black pork bones for 12 hours, resulting in a rich delicious bowl. Sometimes garnished with carrots, seaweed, salt, or chili. An iconic, must-eat dish when visiting the island.

Gogi-Guksu / Pork Noodles

Gogi-Guksu / Pork Noodles

Gogi-Guksu / Pork Noodles

Gogi-Guksu / Pork Noodles

Gogi-Guksu / Pork Noodles

It may be called Gravel Bread, but it's delicious. This charcoal-infused bun is soft and fluffy, tearing apart easily. Within, a sticky filling of earthy sweet red bean paste and light airy cream, nicely balanced on the palate.

Gravel Bread

Gravel Bread

The Godeungeo Gui / Grilled Mackerel Fish in these parts is marginally better than elsewhere, due to its freshness. And because it's readily available, it's also usually cheaper. A whole Spanish mackerel fish, grilled till it takes on a golden brown colour and a smoky aroma. Nice flaky texture to the lean oily fish meat, which comes off the edible bones easily, carrying an addictive smoky savoury salty flavour.