[Food]

[Food] Suneohoe and Borymyul Twigim (선어회와 보리멸 튀김, Fermented Raw Fish and Deep Fried Sillaginoid)

A few weeks ago in the hot summer days in Korea, I went to Yeosu, Jeolla Province which is located in deep southern Korea. Yeosu was just a common port city with a story of the Great Admiral Yi Sunsin and his legendary naval battle with the turtle ship. However, since the song 'Yeosu Night Sea' by Busker Busker (Famous trio band in Korea) became very popular 8 years ago (and still is), now it's always booming with visitors from all over the country who want to take in the evening sea view in Yeosu and savor its unique gourmet.

Yeosu has a few unique gourmets that can only be found in Jeolla Province: Gatkimchi (Mustard kimchi), Suneohoe (Fermented Raw Fish) and Borymyul Twigim (Deep Fried Sillaginoid).

Suneohoe (Fermented Raw Fish) is an unique style of seafood cuisine that can be found in the southern areas of Korea and Japan. In Yeosu, they usually use Spanish mackerel, butter fish and croaker. Cook fillets fresh fish and ferment them for 2~3 days according to their traditional way. Fermentation adds more taste and a silky and unique flavor to the fish :)

Dish and table style of Jeolla Province is famous for a plentiful variety of dishes

Suneohoe (Fermented Raw Fish). Spanish mackerel (Left and middle column), butter fish (top right) and crooker (bottom right). 

When a dish of suneohoe is served on my table, the restaurant owner kindly taught us how to enjoy it Yeosu-style. We need unsalted laver, white kimchi, pickled ginger, secret sauce of restaurant, doenjang, chopped garlic, pickled spring onion and gatkimchi.

First, place unsalted laver on your personal dish.

Second, choose your topping Gatkimchi (Mustard Kimchi) / White Kimchi (Sweet and sour kimchi) / Pickled Spring Onion

Gatkimchi (Mustard kimchi) that you can only eat in Jeolla Province. Spicy, sour and pungent flavor. Its texture is very crunchy and crisp.

 

Baek Kimchi (White Kimchi). Non-spicy, sweet and sour.

Pickled spring onion. Sour, sweet and salty.

Last, pick your fish fillet from the dish (fat and back of Spanish mackerel / Butter Fish / Croaker) and dip it into a secret sauce (mixture of sesame oil, doenjang, chili and more), and top it with pickled ginger and chopped garlic with doenjang paste :)

Pickled ginger

Then what you will have in your dish is one of following :)

Unsalted laver, fermented fish fillet, white kimchi, pickled ginger and garlic with doenjang paste

Unsalted laver, fermented fish fillet, gatkimchi, pickled ginger and garlic with doenjang paste

Unsalted laver, fermented fish fillet, pickled spring onion, pickled ginger and garlic with doenjang paste

Savory, salty, sweet, sour, pungent, crunchy and crispy flavors are all mixed on your palate to give you a profound and mysterious taste. There's no proper way to explain this flavor but it has an absolutely attractive and fascinating flavor. Spanish mackerel is usually eaten roasted, and butter fish is usually eaten steamed, but I never thought they would be this good in raw fillet.

The next dish I ordered was Borymyul Twigim (Deep-Fried Sillaginoid) which is a signature dish at the restaurant that I visited :) It looks like Fish and Chips but with fired onion and sweet potato instead of chips :)

Borymyul (Sillaginoid)

Deep-fried borymyul is crispy and crunchy on the outside with a silky and savory inside :) It really tastes like deep-fried fish that I tasted in Melbourne :)

If you are planning to visit Korea, please never forget Yeosu with its beautiful evening sea and unique and delicious dishes :) I really hope you don't miss any of them.

Bon Appétit!