Jeotgal in kimchi making and Korean cuisine
I have been meaning to look into various types of fish in Korean cuisine. My mother has told me about how certain fish get processed into multiple ways, such bugok and hwangtae being processed from the same herring but since the process is different, completely different flavors are created. Really interesting how our ancestors have a long tradition of wide ranging food practices.
Korea has just too much extensively long and varied continuous history and culture reflected in Hansik.
I remember there was even an exiled yangban scholar who spent his time making an encyclopedia of fish species surrounding the island to which he was banished. So lots of early science, history, and culture tied to Korean food.
(Movie Review) ‘The Book of Fish’ tells story of struggle during historic upheaval in black and white
http://yna.kr/AEN20210319005600315
“The Book of Fish” is named after a piscine encyclopedia written by Yak-jeon, an elite bureaucrat and scholar, who might have indulged in metaphysics of filial piety in the Confucianism-centered kingdom of Joseon in the early 19th century.
Based on his observations and research on the island, Yak-jeon starts to write the pragmatic guidebook on fish, listing the names, shapes and edible usage of marine life, for low class people who have to do everything to eke out a living.
One area I have neglected in regards to kimchi is 젓갈 jeotgal, salted seafood traditionally prepared and stored in cold deep caves to ferment slowly.
Fermented shrimp and anchovy jeotgal is an important component to create the savory taste of kimchi.
My mother tells me that Seoul people like their kimchi made with shrimp jeotgal and avoid anchovy jeotgal. Shrimp jeotgal was more expensive in the old days so the Hanyang yangban families enjoyed it more in the past.
Anchovy jeotgal is used more in Jeolla and Gyeonsang especially, so the kimchi in the southern provinces has a more complex flavor. More generous use of gochugaru is also a signature of southern style kimchi.
However, jeotgal is used beyond just making kimchi. There are at least 150 kinds of jeotgal.
Along with the three 장 jangs — doenjang, ganjang, gochujang — used as sauces to complement but never overpower flavors of ingredients in nearly every Korean dish, the role of 젓갈 jeotgal brings more specific range of Korean flavors.
With seas on three sides teeming as a source of a wide variety of seafood, jeotgal prepared with fish, shellfish, and various sized shrimps are the best known.
With such great seasonal availability, jeotgal has thousands of years of developed history.
In modern times, jeotgal encompasses fermented salted seafood — shrimp, anchovy, clams, oyster, cuttlefish, pollack roe, etc. But in ancient times, various meats were also processed as jeotgal.
The northeast province of Hamgyeong created a variation that spread south called 식해 sikhae (not to be confused with the sweet rice drink 식혜 sikhye). Sweet rice flour is added as explained the following short video explaining how “Jeot-gal is called Bap-do-dook (밥도둑, Rice Thief).”
Jeot-Gal (젓갈, Salted Seafood) [video 1m42s]
https://www.tastykoreachannel.com/post/ … ed-seafood
Shrimp and anchovy jeotgal are the most widely used for making kimchi. Shrimp jeotgal is so versatile, it is also has a place as a condiment.
Shrimp jeotgal has a really special place eaten as a condiment with pork. Grilled pork belly 삼겹살 samgyeopsal and especially 수육 boiled pork are transformed in combined flavor.
Who could imagine the pairing of shrimp with pork? The most indescribable heavenly flavor comes from the creamy texture of sliced 삼겹살 수육 boiled pork belly together with a dollop of fermented 새우젓 shrimp jeot.
No wonder sliced steamed pork belly gets served by the host after a long day of kimjang kimchi making, paired with the freshly made baechu kimchi, where the shrimp and anchovy jeot have not yet integrated through fermentation making that exquisite combined flavor against the sweet texture of lightly sea salt brined baechu (finished with lots of 막걸리 makgeolli rice wine!).
• 보쌈 bossam time!
Room temperature warm storage of food accelerates spoilage and the putrified food is wasted as inedible. From such observations, temperature control seems to always have been a consideration by Koreans in the past. Great lengths were taken to dig deep cold storage tunnels inside mountainsides where the temperature remains refrigerator cold even through the summer. Fermentation can proceed slowly and selectively in such a controlled chilled environment.
Hansik The Taste of Korea Hansik Documentary
Hansik The Taste of Korea EP 13 Jeotgal (4m34s)
https://youtu.be/mhXQn0sDu44
Unfortunately, jeotgal even gets politicized by United States driving UN targeted sanctions on North Korea.
[A Road to Peace] North Korea’s Fish Pickling (jeotgal) Factory (4m14s)
https://youtu.be/egE6Nyh7S6M
Below is a food science research paper mainly focused on types and the history of jeotgal prepared by Koreans. Some other preserved fish are also covered, such as hwangtae from pollack and unique hongeo, since the lines were sometimes blurred in ancient times as the meaning of jeotgal shifted over time.
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Highlight quotes:
• Jeotgal (醢) is a traditional Korean fermented food with thousands years of history with kimchi and other jang (fermented soybean products, 醬).
• As jeotgal has thousands of years of history, it has its own unique and many different characters.
• The most preferred type of salted and fermented food in Korea is eojang (魚醬), which is made with salted fish and is referred to as jeotgal.
• Traditionally, fish products have been a great source of protein in the Korean diet, but have varied in how they are consumed.
• Unlike salted food to minimize the decomposition of the meat by harmful microorganisms, jeotgal produces a unique flavor during the protein decomposition of raw materials by beneficial organisms.
• Jeotgal has great nutritional value with additional function to our health including appetite, digestion, and beneficial microorganisms.
• At that time, the Yodong peninsula (遼東半島) was under Kokuryu (高句麗, bce 37–ce 668) rule, and there were many interactions among Kokuryu, Baekje (百濟, bce18–ce 660), and Shandong peninsula. Therefore, it is presumed that customs discussed in the Cheminyosulwere related to the customs of Kokuryu or Baekje rather than those of Southern China.
• According to the The Annals of King Sejong and Geography (Sejongsilrokjiriji, 世宗實錄地理志) [26] and The Annals of the Chosun Dynasty (Chosunwangjosilrok, 朝鮮王祖實錄) [27], jeotgal was made with not only fish but also pork, rabbit, or venison, and was also consumed with kimchi prior to the Chosun period. In those periods, the meaning of jeotgal was different from that now. Currently jeotgal generally refers to fermented food products made with fish.
• These references suggest that poki-kimchi (kimchi made from whole cabbage) and jeotgal have both existed for a long period of time.
• Myeolchi-jeot (anchovy jeot) produced from anchovy and saeujeot, which is made with shrimp, are the most popular jeotgals in Korea.
• Jeotgal has been an important condiment in kimchi and not only as condiment, but also as dipping sauce for broiled pig’s feet (jokbal), blood/noodle sausage (sundae).
• Jeotgal has also been added as seasoning to substitute salt or soy sauce in Korean style stews, chigae, and kuk and tang.
• It is presumed that these female authors wrote the books based on their own experience of making jeotgal. Thus, in daily life, common people would have enjoyed fermented fish products more than other fermented meat products.
• Jeotgal increases the appetite, protects liver and is a great source of vitamin B. In addition, jeotgal can be a good digestant because of its high protease content. Saeujeot (small shrimp) is consumed as a dipping sauce for meat products to ease the digestion
• The Korean traditional fermented fish product, jeotgal, is a brilliant descendant from our ancestors for the best preservative method of fish and shellfish from deterioration.
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Korean traditional fermented fish products: jeotgal
Ok Kyung Koo, Soo Jung Lee, Kyung Rhan Chung, Dai Ja Jang, Hye Jung Yang, Dae Young Kwon
Journal of Ethnic Foods
Accepted 22 February 2016, Available online 14 June 2016.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a … 8116300506
(PDF link)
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio … ion_detail
⁃ 0. Abstract
Jeotgal (醢) is a traditional Korean fermented food with thousands years of history with kimchi and other jang(fermented soybean products, 醬).
The history was proved by research from historical literature and antique architecture. Jeotgal was developed along with jang (豆醬), fish jang (魚醬), meat jang (肉醬) as a part of jang (醬) up to the Chosun Dynasty and it was always offered during the ancestral rites or ceremonies.
According to antique documents written by women, jeotgal had been used as seasonings or condiments that were popular especially for women rather than as food served for ancestral rites.
⁃ 1. Introduction
Much of the food technology development in food products has been motivated by the desire to preserve food in good condition for future consumption. Each country has developed unique ways of preserving food, especially meat and fish.
The most prevalent method of preservation is through reducing water activity by adding salt or drying, which protects against microbial spoilage by inhibiting the growth of harmful microorganisms.
Fish, for example, was usually salted down immediately in order to prevent spoilage. It is presumed that food would ferment during this preservation process by beneficial microorganisms. As fermentation does not lead to any health issues, people would have continued to consume fermented foods even if they had never come to understand how fermentation changes food.
The most preferred type of salted and fermented food in Korea is eojang (魚醬), which is made with salted fish and is referred to as jeotgal.
Jeotgal is a traditional fermented fish food in Korea that is produced from the whole meat (Fig. 1) and/or internal organs of fish and shellfish (Fig. 2), salted and fermented for inhibition of spoilage, for autolysis, and for decomposing the main ingredients by microbial activities.
Unlike salted food to minimize the decomposition of the meat by harmful microorganisms, jeotgal produces a unique flavor during the protein decomposition of raw materials by beneficial organisms.
As jeotgal has thousands of years of history, it has its own unique and many different characters.
Not only does proteolysis proceed during fermentation, but also carbohydrates, lipids, and organic acids are broken down to enhance the flavor, so that jeotgal is one of the important subingredients or seasonings in kimchi and other Korean foods.
Traditionally, fish products have been a great source of protein in the Korean diet, but have varied in how they are consumed.
• Fig. 1. Jeotgal prepared with whole fish by adding salt. (A) Saeu-jeot (small shrimp jeot), (B) myeolchi-jeot (anchovy jeot), © whangseokeojeot (yellow corvina jeot), and (D) ojingeojeot (squid jeot). (See Table 1.)
• Fig. 2. Jeotgal fermented with internal parts of fish products. Myeongranjeot (jeot with roe from pollock), (B) changnanjeot (jeotfrom intestine of pollock), (C) kalchisokjeot (jeot from intestine of cutlass), and (D) chogejeot (geot with clam).
• Fig. 3. (A) Fermented hongeo (hongeo from Heuksando: 黑山島, Black Mountain Island) with rice straw for a couple of days after fishing. (B) Gulbi (croaker from Yeongkwang: Yeongkwang gulbi), which is prepared by drying after saline treatment .
Jeotgal has great nutritional value with additional function to our health including appetite, digestion, and beneficial microorganisms.
⁃ 2. History of jeotgal
Although the references mainly discuss yukjang (肉醬), salted or fermented meat products, the use of term ranhae (卵䱺) suggests that eojang (魚醬) might have existed as a type of jeotgal.
At that time, the Yodong peninsula (遼東半島) was under Kokuryu (高句麗, bce 37–ce 668) rule, and there were many interactions among Kokuryu, Baekje (百濟, bce18–ce 660), and Sandong peninsula.
Therefore, it is presumed that customs discussed in the Cheminyosulwere related to the customs of Kokuryu or Baekje rather than those of Southern China.
• Fig. 4. Chinese characters (鮓 and 醢), which represent jeot or jeotgal in Hunmongjahoe (訓蒙字會) by Choi (崔世珍) [18]. Ja (鮓) and hae (醢) represent jeotgal (fermented fish product) in Cheminyosul (齊民要術) and others literature (醢).
In Korea, in addition to hae (醢), hye (醯), which is another Chinese character for jeotgal, is mentioned in other literary works.
The Samkuksaki mentioned that jeotgal (醯) was served at the royal wedding for King Sinmun (神文王, ce 681–692).
Fermented food products made with fish were referred to as hae (醢, 醯; jeotgal), meat as damhae (醓醢; fermented pork), tohae (兎醢; fermented rabbit), or nokhae (鹿醢, fermented venison), and bean as jang (醬).
According to the The Annals of King Sejong and Geography (Sejongsilrokjiriji, 世宗實錄地理志) [26] and The Annals of the Chosun Dynasty (Chosunwangjosilrok, 朝鮮王祖實錄), jeotgal was made with not only fish but also pork, rabbit, or venison, and was also consumed with kimchi prior to the Chosun period. In those periods, the meaning of jeotgal was different from that now. Currently jeotgal generally refers to fermented food products made with fish.
A great number of references to jeotgal can be found within literature from the Chosun dynasty. The Koryosa(History of Koryo Dynasty, 高麗史) and the Koryosajeolyo (Brief History of Koryo Dynasty, 高麗史節要), history books written during the Chosun dynasty and covering the Koryo dynasty.
As opposed to the works of male writers, books written by female authors described recipes for jeotgal in Hangul.
• Fig. 6. Eumsikdimibang (閨壼是議方, one book of recipe for Korean food described in Hangul) describes the preparing method for chongeojeot (herring jeot) in detail.
It is presumed that these female authors wrote the books based on their own experience of making jeotgal. Thus, in daily life, common people would have enjoyed fermented fish products more than other fermented meat products.
The term jeotgal currently refers to fermented fish products only. Fermented fish products were served as the main source of foods for common people, while fermented meat products were used as a food served at royal ancestral ritual or others.
⁃ 3. Modern classification of jeotgal
Seafood is highly perishable food due to the high moisture content and highly nutritive in protein and fat for the growth of spoilage microorganisms .
Jeotgal has been an important condiment in kimchi and not only as condiment, but also as dipping sauce for broiled pig’s feet (jokbal), blood/noodle sausage (sundae).
Jeotgal has also been added as seasoning to substitute salt or soy sauce in Korean style stews, chigae, and kuk and tang.
Saeujeot (shrimp jeot) is the most commonly used salt substitutive seasoning.
More than 150 types of jeotgal have been reported and they can be classified by the main ingredients, processing method and processing region.
⁃ 3.1. Classification by main ingredients
Whole fish: Any fresh fish, crustaceans, and mollusks can be used to make jeotgal and each jeotgal is named after the main fish ingredients. In most cases, whole fish, shellfish, or crustaceans are used to produce jeotgal.
Myeolchi-jeot (anchovy jeot) produced from anchovy and saeujeot, which is made with shrimp, are the most popular jeotgals in Korea.
Fresh shrimp for saeujeot are harvested from Yellow Sea, the west and southwest coast of Korea.
⁃ 3.2. Classification by seasoning
Jeotgal: Most traditional jeotgal was simply prepared by adding salt and fermenting and maturing for a certain period by based on documents in Cheminyosul (齊民要術) or other old literature for more than 1,000 years.
Seasoned jeotgal: However, as shown in Table 2, other jeotgals were fermented with Korea red peppers, cooked grains, soy sauce (kanjang), and/or malted rice, in addition of salt. Some others spices are also added to provide additional flavor to jeotgal.
Eorikuljeot is famous for the addition of Korean red pepper and other spices such as garlic, ginger, relish, and scallion. Most mollusks including squids and octopuses are processed by removing internal organs and bones and are fermented with Korean red pepper, garlic, ginger, syrup, and other seasonings.
The roe of pollock is also used for the production of jeotgal, named myeongranjeot.
Aekjeot: Fermented fish sauce, aekjeot (liquid jeot), can be made by most of seafood ingredients.
⁃ 5. Functionality of jeotgal
Jeotgal increases the appetite, protects liver and is a great source of vitamin B. In addition, jeotgal can be a good digestant because of its high protease content. Saeujeot (small shrimp) is consumed as a dipping sauce for meat products to ease the digestion.
⁃ 6. Conclusion
The Korean traditional fermented fish product, jeotgal, is a brilliant descendant from our ancestors for the best preservative method of fish and shellfish from deterioration.
Along with the historical research, metagenomic and metabolomic research and the research on the probiotic lactic acid bacteria from jeotgalhave shown the needs on the development of this high value added food product.
Jeotgal has shown to be a potential bioactive functional food by anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetics, growth promoter, decrease in body fat, and immune-boosting activities.
Therefore, the efforts on research and development of jeotgal based on the consumers’ demand shows that jeotgal has a great potential to be recognized as a nutritious and palatable food product globally.
