Cycle 13 – Item 29

3 (Thu) February 2022

Ojingeo Jeotgal

3.0

from J-Mart

at home

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

solo

Jeotgal is a type of Korean dish.  Comprises a raw seafood – most commonly, in Seoul: squid (ojingeo), oyster (gul), clam (jogae), pollack roe (myeongran) – cut into small piece, pickled with ground red chili + fish sauce + sesame oil + salt + sugar + minced garlic, served with steamed rice.  Along with kimchi and namul, jeotgal is a fundamental banchan.

I’ve come to appreciate jeotgal these days, especially ojingeo jeotgal, often found at the Korean restaurants near the office.  Texturally, it’s kinda squishy/rubbery.  Doesn’t taste like squid (raw squid doesn’t really taste like squid), mostly garlicky, salty, a touch spicy, a touch sweetish – provides a slight kick to make everything else a bit more interesting.

TIP 1: Drizzle sesame oil on top of a dish, just before serving, to enhance the Koreanness of flavor.

TIP 2: Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of a dish, just before serving, to enhance the Koreanness of appearance.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)