''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as
shrimps
A shrimp (: shrimp ( US) or shrimps ( UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchiata, although some crustaceans outside of this orde ...
,
oyster
Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...
s,
clam
Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve mollusc. The word is often applied only to those that are deemed edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the sea floor or riverbeds. Clams h ...
s,
fish
A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
, and
roe
Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...
. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby or solid pieces to clear, broth-like liquid.
Solid ''jeotgal'' are usually eaten as ''
banchan
''Banchan'' ( ; ; ) are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. ''Banchan'' are often set in the middle of the table to be shared. At the center of the table is the secondary main course, such as ''galbi'' or ''bulg ...
'' (side dishes). Liquid ''jeotgal'', called ''aekjeot'' () or fish sauce, is popularly used in
kimchi
Kimchi (; ) is a traditional Korean side dish (''banchan'') consisting of salted and fermented vegetables, most often napa cabbage or Korean radish. A wide selection of seasonings are used, including '' gochugaru'' (Korean chili powder), ...
seasoning, as well as in various soups and stews (''
guk
''Guk'' (), also sometimes known as ''tang'' (), is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. ''Guk'' and ''tang'' are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although ''tang'' can sometimes be less watery than ' ...
'', ''
jijimi
''Jijimi'' () is a type of Korean stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include ...
'', ''
jjigae
''Jjigae'' () are Korean stews. There are many varieties; they are typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with ''gochujang'' (red chilli paste), ''doenjang'' (soy bean paste), '' ganjang'' (soy sauce) or ''saeu-jeot' ...
''). As a
condiment
A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...
, jeotgal with smaller bits of solid ingredients such as ''
saeu-jeot
''Saeu-jeot''
* () is a variety of ''jeotgal'', salted and fermented food made with small shrimp in Korean cuisine. It is the most consumed ''jeotgal'' along with '' myeolchi-jeot'' (, salted anchovy ''jeot'') in South Korea. The name consists ...
'' (shrimp ''jeotgal'') is commonly served as a dipping sauce with pork dishes (''
bossam
''Bossam'' () is a pork dish in Korean cuisine. It usually consists of pork shoulder that is boiled in spices and thinly sliced. The meat is served with side dishes such as spicy radish salad, sliced raw garlic, ''ssamjang'' (wrap sauce), ''saeu ...
'', ''
jokbal
''Jokbal'' () is a Korean dish consisting of pig's trotters cooked with soy sauce and spices.Jokbal at '', ''
samgyeopsal
''Samgyeopsal'' (), ''samgyeopsal-gui'' (), or grilled pork belly is a type of '' gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine.
Etymology
Directly translated from Korean, ''samgyeop-sal'' () means "three layer flesh", referring to striations of lea ...
''), ''
sundae
A sundae (Sunday Ice) () is an ice cream frozen dessert of American origin that typically consists of one or more scoops of ice cream topped with a sweet sauce or syrup and other toppings such as sprinkles, whipped cream, marshmallows, chocola ...
'' (Korean sausage), '' hoe'' (raw fish), and a number of soups and stews.
History
Fermented foods were widely available in
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea or Samhan (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla) competed for hegemony over the Korea, Korean Peninsula during the ancient period of History of Korea, Korean history. During the Three Kingdoms period (), many states and statele ...
, as ''
Sānguózhì
The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regarded ...
'', a
Jin Chinese
Jin () is a group of Chinese linguistic varieties spoken by roughly 48 million people in northern China, including most of Shanxi province, much of central Inner Mongolia, and adjoining areas in Hebei, Henan, and Shaanxi provinces. The status ...
historical text published in 289, mentions that the Goguryeo Koreans are skilled in making fermented foods such as wine, soybean paste and salted and fermented fish in the section titled ''
Dongyi
The Dongyi or Eastern Yi () was a collective term for ancient peoples found in Chinese records. The definition of Dongyi varied across the ages, but in most cases referred to inhabitants of eastern China, then later, the Korean peninsula and Jap ...
'' in the ''
Book of Wei
The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...
''. The first Korean record of ''jeotgal'' appeared in the historical text ''
Samguk sagi
''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history.
The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...
'', with a reference that King Sinmun offered rice, wine, jerky, and ''jeotgal'' as wedding presents in 683. In 1124, a Song Chinese envoy wrote that ''jeotgal'' was enjoyed by high and low alike in
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
. Twenty-four types of ''jeotgal'' appear in ''Miam ilgi'' (), a 16th-century diary written by a 16th century Joseon literatus , and over 180 types of ''jeotgal'' can be found in the coeval books '' Gosa chwaryo'' (고사촬요; ) and '' Swaemirok'' (쇄미록; ), and in 17‒18th century books '' Eumsik dimibang'', '' Sallim gyeongje'', and ''
Jeungbo sallim gyeongje
''Jeungbo sallim gyeongje'' is a Korean book on agriculture compiled by Yu Jung-rim (柳重臨) as revised and enlarged from the '' Sallim gyeongje'' written by Hong Man-seon (洪萬選 1643~1715). Yu Jung-rim was a physician during the reign of ...
''.
Types
The types of ''jeotgal'' vary depending on main ingredients, regions, and family and personal preferences. In past times, due to the limited availability of transportation, regions near seas had more types of ''jeot'' compared to the inland areas.
ganjang-gejang
''Gejang'' () or ''gejeot'' () is a variety of ''jeotgal,'' or salted fermented seafood in Korean cuisine, which is made by marinating fresh raw crabs in either ''ganjang'' (soy sauce) or a chili pepper powder based sauce. The term consists of tw ...
guljeot
''Guljeot'' () or salted oyster is a ''jeotgal'' (salted seafood) made by salting and fermenting oyster. It is a popular ''banchan'' (side dish) served as an accompaniment to ''bap'' (cooked rice).
Preparation
Small, fresh oysters are shucked ...
myeongnan-jeot
Pollock roe, also pollack roe (also known as ''tarako'' in Japanese and ''myeongnan'' in Korean), is the roe of Alaska pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') which, despite its name, is a species of cod. Salted pollock roe is a popular culinary ingr ...
squid
A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...
saeu-jeot
''Saeu-jeot''
* () is a variety of ''jeotgal'', salted and fermented food made with small shrimp in Korean cuisine. It is the most consumed ''jeotgal'' along with '' myeolchi-jeot'' (, salted anchovy ''jeot'') in South Korea. The name consists ...
myeolchi-jeot
''Myeolchi-jeot'' () or salted anchovies is a variety of ''jeotgal'' (salted seafood), made by salting and fermenting anchovies.
* Along with ''saeu-jeot'' (salted shrimps), it is one of the most commonly consumed ''jeotgal'' in Korean cuisine. ...
'' (salted anchovy)
Korean sea food-Hwangsaegi jeot-01.jpg, ''
jogi-jeot
''Jogi-jeot'' () or salted yellow croaker is a variety of ''jeotgal'' (salted seafood), made with Larimichthys polyactis, yellow croakers. In Korean cuisine, ''jogi-jeot'' is widely used as ''banchan'' (side dish), as a condiment, or as an ingred ...