Large pieces of hairtail braised in spicy sauce make galchi jorim, a dish enjoyed both at home and when dining out. Pan-fried hairtail is equally popular for its clean, mild flavour. Black hairtail, caught off Mokpo’s coast from late September, just before spawning season, is particularly prized for its sweet, superior taste. Image credits: Korea Tourism Organization
Mokpo has Korea’s largest skate auction market, and most skate from Heuksando, about 50 nautical miles offshore and widely thought to be the best, is sold there before going out nationwide. Park writes that hongeo only won national acclaim in the past decade, as Korea’s food scene went looking for unusual flavours.
In “Nine Flavours that Define Mokpo,” published in Koreana by the Korea Foundation, the food journalist Park Mee-hyang described the dish’s importance to the city’s culinary identity. Hongeo is fermented skate, a member of the ray family, and its ammonia smell is strong enough to make first-timers push the plate away. People still travel across Korea for it, and the reasons are simpler than the smell suggests. They go for a regional food tradition built around the port city of Mokpo, for a flavour fans say grows on you, and for a pairing of skate, boiled pork and kimchi that softens the sting. Park Mee-hyang mentioned that many travellers seek out hongeo restaurants before visiting any famous landmarks in Mokpo. Drawn not just by the seafood’s pungent smell but also by a deep-rooted regional tradition and a unique flavour experience that grows on the palate. The appeal lies in the hongeo samhap, a traditional combination of fermented skate, boiled pork and well-aged kimchi. These ingredients balance the fish’s intense flavour and create an experience of Korean cuisine. Mokpo is only the third-largest city in South Jeolla Province, but Park calls it the region’s culinary capital, and hongeo samhap is the dish at the top of its list. It was once shunned for its smell and is now a coveted delicacy at the heart of Jeolla cooking. Its coastal location and connections to nearby fishing communities have helped establish the city as an important centre for the skate trade. Skate from Heuksando is particularly prized, and Mokpo’s seafood markets help distribute the fish to restaurants and consumers across the country. This limited supply contributes to its reputation as a premium delicacy that everyone loves. Rarity adds to the price, since females produce no more than two offspring a year. The season runs from November to March, when the fish are at their best. The fame is recent. It has since shown up on Culinary Class Wars and on the YouTube channel of Josh Carrott, known as Korean Englishman. In Mokpo, Deoginjip, one of the oldest hongeo restaurants, serves a soup of skate liver and fermented soybean paste, and Mokpo Ramyeon Hongeo Ramyeon has gained online fame for pairing skate with instant noodles. Croaker, a prized summer delicacy from Korea’s western and southern coasts, is valued for its restorative qualities and usually eaten steamed or raw. Called mineo hoe when raw, it has a chewy texture and subtle sweetness. restaurants in Mokpo also serve the skin, swim bladder, and fins, drawing food enthusiasts to the city each croaker season While only the flesh is consumed in other regions. Image credits Mokpo City Koreana.or.kr Among Mokpo’s iconic specialties is whiparm octopus, or saebal nakji, a small-bodied octopus species with long, thin arms that is prized for its delicate flavor. Pictured here is nakji tangtangi, a dish of chopped live octopus mixed with thinly sliced raw beef. Image credits: Korea Tourism Organization
Because it gives them a regional tradition, a bold flavour and a challenge that fans say pays off, people travel for Hongaeo. If you’re curious, start with fresh skate, then try hongeo samhap with aged kimchi in a single bite. You may not like it. If you do, you’ll probably want a stronger one next time.