Long weekends and local fare—who could ask for more? Spending it on a sub-tropical island formed by a 2 million year old volcanic eruption is a start.
Jeju island is located several hundred kilometers off the southern tip of Korea and boasts lush forests, beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, pooched, but pretty volcanoes, the tallest mountain in the country, even two Natural World Heritage Sites: Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Situated in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, Jeju-do is Korea's largest island and only special autonomous province.
While wildlife and exotic plant species lurk all over the sprawling peaks of this picturesque island, it's the animals that roam the lowlands and frolic in the azure waters that are worthy of note. Why, you ask? Well, they're the ones that will find their way to my plate.
Operating on a fully orchestrated tour we didn't have the freedom to seek out specific Jeju specialties, however, we were catered to quite nicely. Famous for tangerines, fish, and most especially, black pig, Jeju-do is a pretty decent place to get your eating game on.
Our first encounter with the indigenous cuisine was aptly titled, "The Local's Lunch" on the menu. Mackerel is probably the most common fish around Korea, and it's without a doubt the most budget friendly. Dried, fried, grilled, boiled, stewed, soft, hard, skinned, seasoned...I haven't seen stuffed...mackerel is everywhere and served in every form imaginable. On that day, we were treated to an exceptional feast of fried mackerel, with some boiled octopus and a host of other tasty side dishes. Butterflied and fried whole, what at times can be a dense and meaty fish became light and flaky. Its blue-steel colored skin turned to a golden shimmer, was crisp and popping with salty, delicious flavour. Sided by some chewy but fresh tasting boiled octopus, a jellyfish salad, gosari namul (a type of boiled fern, which I formerly thought to be taro root), seaweed salad, and of course, kimchi.
While I am unsure of what our black pigs were served for lunch, they certainly served us well. I was hoping we would indulge in a classic Korean-BBQ style meal for this one so that we could have the untainted, pure grilled experience with this cut of meat, however, what we got wasn't half bad either. Stir-fried and saucy with a sweet gochujang (chili sauce) style marinade, some green onion, fresh garlic, and the late addition of gosari namul (thank god I know what that is now), this swine was pretty divine. I must admit that while the flavour of the meat does deliver a distinctly different depth from most other pork I've eaten the chewiness from the large outer rim of fat wasn't particularly appealing. I'm a man who keeps his fat on his meat at all times. The rich, buttery flavour of most meats is only enhanced through marbling and the melting of all the pervasive juices from the soft fats into the animal as it cooks. This fat, however, made me feel like I was chewing on a rubber band. It unfortunately offered no real flavour and was so unnecessary that I actually began to disassemble fat from meat, part way through the meal. I felt like I was turning my back on a family member.
So, that got to me a bit, but overall the meal was delicious. The marinade was punchy and the contrast of the sweet pork and the somewhat spicy sauce was excellent. The best pieces began to caramelize slightly on the bottom of the pan and in the end, our table was left sitting around wondering if we could get more meat, while the rest of the baby-bellied group left to the lavatories. Maybe they were just trying to give back to the restaurants personal pig farm?
Jeju island is located several hundred kilometers off the southern tip of Korea and boasts lush forests, beautiful beaches, turquoise waters, pooched, but pretty volcanoes, the tallest mountain in the country, even two Natural World Heritage Sites: Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Situated in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, Jeju-do is Korea's largest island and only special autonomous province.
While wildlife and exotic plant species lurk all over the sprawling peaks of this picturesque island, it's the animals that roam the lowlands and frolic in the azure waters that are worthy of note. Why, you ask? Well, they're the ones that will find their way to my plate.
Operating on a fully orchestrated tour we didn't have the freedom to seek out specific Jeju specialties, however, we were catered to quite nicely. Famous for tangerines, fish, and most especially, black pig, Jeju-do is a pretty decent place to get your eating game on.
Our first encounter with the indigenous cuisine was aptly titled, "The Local's Lunch" on the menu. Mackerel is probably the most common fish around Korea, and it's without a doubt the most budget friendly. Dried, fried, grilled, boiled, stewed, soft, hard, skinned, seasoned...I haven't seen stuffed...mackerel is everywhere and served in every form imaginable. On that day, we were treated to an exceptional feast of fried mackerel, with some boiled octopus and a host of other tasty side dishes. Butterflied and fried whole, what at times can be a dense and meaty fish became light and flaky. Its blue-steel colored skin turned to a golden shimmer, was crisp and popping with salty, delicious flavour. Sided by some chewy but fresh tasting boiled octopus, a jellyfish salad, gosari namul (a type of boiled fern, which I formerly thought to be taro root), seaweed salad, and of course, kimchi. |
| mmmmmackerel |
Some delish fish is all well and good, but when it comes down to it, let's get to the meat! Jeju-do is famous the country over for its breed of local Black Pig (heuk-doe-ji). These small, smooth black-haired bundles of joy came from a unique upbringing with 'bore' their name, aside from just the color of their coif. Until about the 1960s, these pigs were kept almost exclusively as a means to dispose of human waste. Housed in sites built below outdoor lavatories, these are maybe the only animals to ever exclusively eat whatever their owners did--just about 12 hours later. Now fed in a more conventional manner, the richness and unique chewy texture is said to have suffered as a result.
While I am unsure of what our black pigs were served for lunch, they certainly served us well. I was hoping we would indulge in a classic Korean-BBQ style meal for this one so that we could have the untainted, pure grilled experience with this cut of meat, however, what we got wasn't half bad either. Stir-fried and saucy with a sweet gochujang (chili sauce) style marinade, some green onion, fresh garlic, and the late addition of gosari namul (thank god I know what that is now), this swine was pretty divine. I must admit that while the flavour of the meat does deliver a distinctly different depth from most other pork I've eaten the chewiness from the large outer rim of fat wasn't particularly appealing. I'm a man who keeps his fat on his meat at all times. The rich, buttery flavour of most meats is only enhanced through marbling and the melting of all the pervasive juices from the soft fats into the animal as it cooks. This fat, however, made me feel like I was chewing on a rubber band. It unfortunately offered no real flavour and was so unnecessary that I actually began to disassemble fat from meat, part way through the meal. I felt like I was turning my back on a family member.
 |
| Taking a pre-cook look |
No comments:
Post a Comment