[Jo Yongjun's Travel Miles] Tak Tak Tak! Hororok! The Sound of Winter Ripening

Let's Go on a Winter Delicacy Journey

Tak Tak Tak, Cheonbuk Oysters Cooking Over Charcoal Fire

[Asia Economy, Cho Yong-jun, Travel Specialist Reporter] One indispensable aspect of travel is food. A warm sip of broth sliding down your throat or tasting specialty dishes made with local ingredients deepens the travel experience. As winter draws to a close, we introduce winter foods with stories that you can enjoy while touring destinations. If you want to leave special memories, it’s a good time to set off now in search of fresh seasonal foods like Boryeong Cheonbuk oyster complex, Beolgyo cockles, Geoje cod, and Yeongwol buckwheat pancakes.

◇ Jeongseon and Yeongwol Buckwheat Pancakes, Kotteungchigi, The Taste of Gangwon Province’s Winter Markets

One of the joys markets offer is 'food indulgence.' Traditional markets in Gangwon Province have many local foods that make travelers’ experiences more enjoyable. Especially, the names and ingredients of the dishes carry stories of Gangwon, sparking interest. Jeongseon Arirang Market became well-known after the opening of the Jeongseon 5-day Market Tourist Train (now Jeongseon Arirang Train) in 1999, and the food played a significant role alongside the emotional resonance of Jeongseon Arirang.

On the barren land, buckwheat and corn, which took root stubbornly, were used to make dishes out of necessity, but these became delicacies for travelers. 'Kotteungchigi,' named because the thick, rustic noodles hit the nose, and 'Olchaengi Guksu,' named after the tadpole-like shape of corn starch noodles, offer excellent flavors.

Yeongwol Seobu Market has a buckwheat pancake (pictured) alley. Buckwheat pancake shops are packed closely together, each offering slightly different tastes. Especially, watching the pancakes being cooked adds a special flavor to the experience. Recently, Yeongwol Seobu Market has also gained popularity among young people for its chicken gangjeong (sweet and spicy fried chicken).

◇ Boryeong Cheonbuk Oyster Complex, Overflowing Nutritious Oyster Dishes

Surrounded by sea on three sides, Korea is rich in seafood and easily accessible. Especially on the west coast, due to tidal flats, oysters, ark shells, and live octopus are easily found. Among them, 'Cheonbuk Oyster Complex' in Jangeun-ri, Cheonbuk-myeon, Boryeong, Chungnam, is a place to enjoy winter delicacies.

Cheonbuk oysters are larger than those from other west coast areas. The vertical length of the oyster shell reaches about 6 to 7 cm, making them ideal for grilling. Even after grilling for 1 to 2 minutes or more, they remain moist and sweet.

Upon arriving at the Jangeun-ri port, where dozens of oyster restaurants line up, a savory aroma fills the air. Each restaurant overflows with the scent of grilled and steamed oysters.

At the oyster complex restaurants, each table has a rubber basin measuring 12 cm wide and 33 cm high, filled with Cheonbuk oysters. Without removing the shells, after about a minute on the fire, the adductor muscle inside the shell cooks and detaches with a popping sound. Quickly grasp the oyster shell with tongs and use a pointed oyster opener to extract and eat the oyster meat. Steamed oysters (pictured) rival grilled oysters in popularity. Steamed oysters are mild and less salty than grilled ones, making them easier to enjoy. Oyster kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup) with a ladleful of Cheonbuk oysters is also a signature dish at local restaurants.

◇ Around Yesan Yedangho, A Warm Bowl of Winter Memories, Eojuk (Fish Porridge)

Provided by Korea Tourism Organization

The area near Yedangho Lake in Yesan, Chungnam, is famous for eojuk (fish porridge). When an irrigation reservoir with a circumference of 40 km was completed in 1964, locals gathered during farming breaks to hang pots and catch fish. They boiled whatever they caught?carp, catfish, snakehead fish, and dark sleeper (bagasari)?then added red pepper powder, various seasonings, and freshwater shrimp to create a refreshing broth. They then added soaked rice, noodles, and sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes) to make porridge, finishing with chopped chili, perilla powder, and sesame oil, boiling it once more before eating. This was the birth of 'Chungnam-style eojuk.' Even now, about ten restaurants around Yedangho serve eojuk (pictured), steamed carp, and fried freshwater shrimp.

After filling your stomach with eojuk, we recommend walking around the beautiful Yedangho. There is the 'Yedangho Suspension Bridge,' boasting a length of 402 meters, and the 'Slow Lake Trail,' which stretches 5.2 km. Yesan’s representative temple, Sudeoksa, offers many sights including the Daeungjeon Hall (National Treasure No. 49), a three-story stone pagoda, a stupa hall, and a Buddhist art museum. Deoksan Hot Springs recently renovated a free foot bath area, making it a good place to rest.

◇ Delicious Winter Gifts from the Sea Now, Beolgyo Cockles and Jangheung Maesaengi

Provided by Korea Tourism Organization

There are winter delicacies from the sea that you can only taste now: cockles (pictured) and maesaengi (a type of seaweed). Beolgyo is the place that comes to mind when thinking of cockles. The soft yet chewy cockles are at their best and most abundant now. The commonly eaten small cockles are chewy, while the true cockles are premium with rich juice. In Beolgyo town, many restaurants serve generous cockle set meals including boiled true cockles, cockle pancakes, and cockle sashimi salad.

Beolgyo is the setting of the novel "Taebaek Mountains." In front of Beolgyo Station, the 'Taebaek Mountains Literary Tour Road' has been created. Visiting the old Boseong Inn (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 132), the old Beolgyo Financial Cooperative (Registered Cultural Heritage No. 226), Sohwa House, and the Hyunbuja House, all settings from "Taebaek Mountains," would be meaningful.

Next to Beolgyo, in Jangheung, maesaengi is in season. The maesaengi from Naejeon Village in Jangheung, known for its thin, soft strands and strong sea aroma, is considered the best. Maesaengi is mainly cooked as soup. Locals say, 'When a wooden chopstick stands upright in maesaengi soup, it means the maesaengi is just right.' Taking a warm spoonful of maesaengi soup fills your mouth with the scent of the sea.

◇ Warm Fish Flesh Melts in Your Mouth, Geoje Cod and Tongyeong Mulmegi

Provided by Korea Tourism Organization

Geoje cod and Tongyeong mulmegi (a type of fish) are winter delicacies around Hallyeohaesang National Park. To truly taste cod, visit Geoje Oepo Port (pictured). The port, which accounted for 30% of the nation’s cod shipments, features cod sculptures and stalls, with cod basking in the winter sun, creating a lively atmosphere. Restaurants at Oepo Port serve cod soup, fried cod, and steamed cod as courses. Cod soup, filled with fresh cod and roe, is mild and savory.

While Geoje has 'big-mouthed' cod, the neighboring city Tongyeong has the 'ugly' mulmegi. Visiting Tongyeong Seohu Market early in the morning, you can see live mulmegi swimming. Once discarded for its ugly appearance, mulmegi has recently become a precious fish called 'gold (geum) megi.' You can also taste mulmegi soup at the central market’s sashimi restaurants; its tender flesh melts smoothly with each sip.

From Oepo Port, the coastal road leads to Dumomongdol Beach, a quiet fishing village with a small pebble beach and a viewpoint for admiring the Geoga Bridge. Gajodo Island offers beautiful sunset views from the Suhyup Hyosi Park Observatory near the connecting bridge and the 'Hill Where the Sunset Colors the Sky.'

Text and photos by Cho Yong-jun, Travel Specialist Reporter jun21@asaie.co.kr