''Myeolchi-jeot'' () or salted anchovies is a variety of ''

jeotgal ''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby or solid pi ...

'' (salted seafood), made by salting and fermenting anchovies. * Along with ''

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 ...

'' (salted shrimps), it is one of the most commonly consumed ''

'' in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine is the set of foods and culinary styles which are associated with Korean culture. This cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient Prehistoric Korea, agricultural and nomad ...

. In mainland Korea, ''myeolchi-jeot'' is primarily used to make

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), ...

, while in

Jeju Island Jeju Island (Jeju language, Jeju/) is South Korea's largest island, covering an area of , which is 1.83% of the total area of the country. Alongside outlying islands, it is part of Jeju Province and makes up the majority of the province. The i ...

, ''meljeot'' (; ''myeolchi-jeot'' in Jeju language) is also used as a dipping sauce. The

Chuja Islands The Chuja Islands () are a group of 42 islands in the Jeju Strait, about halfway between Jejudo and the southern coast of Jeollanamdo. Only four islands are inhabited: Sangchuja ("Upper Chuja"), which is connected by a bridge to Hachuja ("Low ...

, located between South Jeolla and Jeju, are famous for producing the highest quality ''myeolchi-jeot''.

Names and etymology

''Myeolchi-jeot'' () is a compound of ''myeolchi'' (), the Korean word for anchovy (''Engraulis japonicus''), and '' jeot'' (), the word meaning salted fermented seafood. ''Meljeot'' () is also a compound, consisting of ''mel'' (), the Jeju name for anchovy, and ''jeot''. The Jeju word ''mel'' is cognate with the first syllable ''myeol'' of the Korean word ''myeolchi'', whose second syllable ''-chi'' is a suffix attached to fish names. Similar forms to ''meljeot'' also occur in mainland Korean dialects, including ''metjeot'' () and ''mitjeot'' () in

Gyeongsang dialect The Gyeongsang dialects (), also known as Southeastern Korean (), are dialects of the Korean language from the historical region of Gyeongsang Province. Today, that region is divided into Daegu, Busan, Ulsan, North Gyeongsang Province, and Sou ...

Preparation

The anchovies for ''Myeolchi-jeot'' are harvested along the southern coasts of the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

en masse. ''Myeolchi-jeot'' used in the process called '' gimjang'' are prepared with mature anchovies known as ''osari-myeolchi'' (flood tide anchovies), which are harvested in July and August. On

, bigger anchovies harvested in the spring along the coasts of

Seogwipo Seogwipo (; ) is the second-largest Administrative divisions of South Korea, city on Jeju Island, settled on a rocky volcanic coastline in the southern part of Jeju Province, South Korea. In July 2006, Seogwipo's boundaries were expanded to inclu ...

are made into ''meljeot''. Cleaned fresh anchovies are drained on '' sokuri'' (bamboo baskets), and salted with coarse salt weighing 15‒20% of the anchovies. In an '' onggi'' (earthenware jar), the anchovies and salt are put in layers, with the uppermost layer being a thick layer of salt, to prevent the anchovies from coming in contact with the air. The jar is sealed, and the salted anchovies are then allowed to ferment at for two to three months in '' onggi'' (earthenware jars). Once the ''myeolchi-jeot'' has aged another couple of months, it becomes ''myeolchi-jeot-guk'' (anchovy extract).

Culinary use

The liquid extract, made after around six months of fermentation of ''myeolchi-jeot'', is filtered and boiled to be used in kimchi. Alternatively, two parts ''myeolchi-jeot'' can be mixed with one part water, boiled over high heat, filtered, let set, and the upper, clear layer is used in kimchi. The boiled and filtered ''myeolchi-jeot'' liquid may also used to flavor seaweed dishes. ''Myeolchi-jeot'' made with boned anchovies are seasoned and 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 dish). In Geomun Island, where it is difficult to grow soybeans, the remaining solids and cloudy lower layer of liquid after extracting the clear, upper liquid (anchovy extract) from ''myeolchi-jeot'' is used to make ''myeoljang'' (anchovy paste). In Jeju Island, ''meljeot'' is used as dipping sauce for grilled pork. In summer, ''meljeot'' is used in blanched soybean leaf ''

ssam ' () are dishes in Korean cuisine where one food is wrapped in another. A common variety is meat such as pork wrapped in a leafy vegetable. ''Meljeot'' may also be eaten as ''banchan'' (side dish), either as is or seasoned with garlic and chili peppers.

Gallery

File:Myeolchi-aekjeot.jpg, ''Myeolchi- aekjeot''

References

{{portal bar, Food Anchovy dishes Jeotgal

Names and etymology

Preparation

Culinary use

Gallery

See also

References