[Food]
[Food] Jogijjigae & the Story of Jaringobi (조기찌개 & 자린고비, Dried Yellow Corvina Stew and Korean Scrooge)
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| Dried Yellow Corvina (Croaker) |
Once upon a time during the Chosun dynasty in Korea, there lived Mr. Reuk Joh in Eum-sung, Choongchung province (central region of the Korean peninsula). As a child, he was a slave who struggled to earn money to set himself free but he eventually became a very rich person in his region. So, he obviously became very stingy, economical and thrifty.
People called him 'Jaringobi', which means 'As merciful as a parent' or 'Very stingy and thrifty person who even stint small dirt' (I'll tell you why he gained the nickname of 'As merciful as a parent' a little later).
People called him 'Jaringobi', which means 'As merciful as a parent' or 'Very stingy and thrifty person who even stint small dirt' (I'll tell you why he gained the nickname of 'As merciful as a parent' a little later).
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| Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, the western counterpart of Jaringobi in Korea |
There are a few funny episodes regarding Mr. Joh's (Jaringobi) nickname.
Story #1
One day, Jaringobi bought some gulbi (Dried yellow corvina) and brought it home. However, he didn't cook it for dinner but just hung it from the ceiling. Jaringobi then said to his family, "Look at this gulbi once for one spoon of rice because this gulbi is very salty". One of his children looked at the gulbi twice and was hit on the head with a spoon and was told "I told you to look at it once only! Twice makes it too salty!"
Story #2
On another day, he saw a fly inside his bean paste jar which flew off with bean paste on its legs. Jaringobi got so mad at this fly that he chased it to the next village and finally caught it. However, he wiped bean paste off of the fly's legs and ate it, then let the fly go.
Story #1
One day, Jaringobi bought some gulbi (Dried yellow corvina) and brought it home. However, he didn't cook it for dinner but just hung it from the ceiling. Jaringobi then said to his family, "Look at this gulbi once for one spoon of rice because this gulbi is very salty". One of his children looked at the gulbi twice and was hit on the head with a spoon and was told "I told you to look at it once only! Twice makes it too salty!"
Story #2
On another day, he saw a fly inside his bean paste jar which flew off with bean paste on its legs. Jaringobi got so mad at this fly that he chased it to the next village and finally caught it. However, he wiped bean paste off of the fly's legs and ate it, then let the fly go.
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| Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, the western counterpart of Jaringobi in Korea |
Jaringobi is a very well-known stingy Korean because of such stories. So he is usually named by Koreans as jogi (yellow corvina / croaker) or gulbi (dried yellow corvina).
Nevertheless, he helped and saved people in his village with money and food when the village was damaged by a severe drought. People in village thanked him deeply and were touched by his good deeds and support. So they established a monument commemorating his contribution for the village. People named the monument 'Jaringobi' which means 'Monument for someone as merciful as a parent', so Mr. Neuk Joh's nickname became 'Jaringobi' since then.
Nevertheless, he helped and saved people in his village with money and food when the village was damaged by a severe drought. People in village thanked him deeply and were touched by his good deeds and support. So they established a monument commemorating his contribution for the village. People named the monument 'Jaringobi' which means 'Monument for someone as merciful as a parent', so Mr. Neuk Joh's nickname became 'Jaringobi' since then.
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| Corvinas for delicious stew on potato chunks |
Meanwhile, the south-western region of the Korean peninsula cooks stew with yellow corvina. They put bracken, potatoes, radish, mushrooms, red and green Korean chili, spring onion, garlic and ginger into the stew to make Jogijjigae (Corvina stew). One famous traditional Korean food expert said "Jogijjigae is the best stew in Korea", because corvina is a very tasty and savory fish as a stew.
I haven't yet tasted Jogijjigae but I really want to have dinner with it in the future :)
Bon Appétit!
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