Jeotgal (Korean:젓갈) or jeot (젓), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe.[1][2][3] Depending on the ingredients, jeotgal can range from flabby or solid pieces to clear, broth-like liquid.
Solid jeotgal are usually eaten as banchan (side dishes). Liquid jeotgal, called aekjeot (액젓) or fish sauce, is popularly used in kimchi seasoning, as well as in various soups and stews (guk, jijimi, jjigae).[4] As a condiment, jeotgal with smaller bits of solid ingredients such as saeu-jeot (shrimp jeotgal) is commonly served as a dipping sauce with pork dishes (bossam, jokbal, samgyeopsal), sundae (Korean sausage), hoe (raw fish), and a number of soups and stews.
History
Fermented foods were widely available in Three Kingdoms of Korea, as Sānguózhì, a Jin Chinese historical text published in 289, mentions that the Goguryeo Koreans are skilled in making fermented foods such as wine, soybean paste and salted and fermented fish in the section titled Dongyi in the Book of Wei.[5][6] The first Korean record of jeotgal appeared in the historical text Samguk sagi, with a reference that King Sinmun offered rice, wine, jerky, and jeotgal as wedding presents in 683.[7] In 1124, a Song Chinese envoy wrote that jeotgal was enjoyed by high and low alike in Goryeo.[8] Twenty-four types of jeotgal appear in Miam ilgi (眉巖日記), a 16th-century diary written by a 16th century Joseon literatus Yu Hŭich'un,[9] and over 180 types of jeotgal can be found in the coeval books Gosa chwaryo (고사촬요; 攷事撮要) and Swaemirok (쇄미록; 瑣尾錄),[10][11] and in 17‒18th century books Ŭmsik timibang, Sallim kyŏngje, and Chŭngbo sallim kyŏngje.[12][13][14]
Types
The types of jeotgal vary depending on main ingredients, regions, and family and personal preferences. In past times, due to the limited availability of transportation, regions near seas had more types of jeot compared to the inland areas.
↑Hui, Y. H.; Ghazala, Sue; Graham, Dee M.; Murrell, K. D.; Nip, Wai-Kit, eds. (2004). Handbook of Vegetable Preservation and Processing. New York: Marcel Dekker. pp.190–191. ISBN0824743016.
↑Chén, Shòu. "Wūwán Xiānbēi Dōngyí chuán 烏丸鮮卑東夷傳" 三國志/卷30. [[s:zh:|]]三國志[Records of the Three Kingdoms] (in Chinese). Jin China – via Wikisource.
↑Kim, Busik (1145). [[s:ko:|]]삼국사기(三國史記)[History of the Three Kingdoms] (in Korean). Goryeo Korea – via Wikisource.
↑Xú, Jīng (1124). [[s:zh:|]]宣和奉使高麗圖經[Illustrated Account of Goryeo] (in Chinese). Song China – via Wikisource.
↑Yu, Huichun (1577). Miam ilgi미암일기(미암일기; 眉巖日記)[Diary of Miam]. Joseon Korea.
↑Eo, Sukgwon (1554). Gosa chwaryo고사촬요(攷事撮要)[Selected Essentials on Verified Facts]. Joseon Korea.
↑O, Huimun (1601). Swaemirok쇄미록(瑣尾錄)[Records of a Refugee]. Joseon Korea.
↑Jang, Gyehyang (1670). Eumsik dimibang음식디미방[Guidebook of Homemade Food and Drinks]. (in Middle Korean). Andong, Joseon Korea.
↑Hong, Manseon. Sallim gyeongje산림경제(山林經濟)[Farm Management] (in Literary Chinese). Joseon Korea. Archived from the original on 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2020-02-02– via DB of Korean classics by ITKC.Archived 2017-03-28 at the Wayback Machine
↑Yu, Jungrim; Hong, Manseon (1766). Jeungbo sallim gyeongje증보산림경제(增補山林經濟)[Revised and Augmented Farm Management]. Joseon Korea.
