Jeotgal
Encyclopedia
Jeotgal or jeot is a salted fermented
food in Korean cuisine. It is made with various seafood
, such as shrimp
, oyster
s, shellfish
, fish
, fish eggs
, and fish intestines.
Jeotgal is mainly used as a condiment
in pickling kimchi
and as a dipping sauce for pig's feet (jokbal
) and blood/noodle sausage (sundae
). Sometimes jeotgal, commonly saeujeot, is added to Korean style stews (jjigae
) and soups (guk and tang), for flavor instead of using salt or soy sauce (ganjang).
The types of jeotgal vary depending on main ingredients, regions, and family and personal preferences. In past times, due to the limited transportation, regions near seas had more types of jeot compared to the inland areas.
(爾雅), a Chinese dictionary
written in the 3rd-5th centuries BC, contains a record about ji (鮨), the origin of jeotgal. Ji indicates jeotgal, food made with fish and is the oldest documents mentioning this food in the historical records.
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
food in Korean cuisine. It is made with various seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, such as shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
, fish
Fish (food)
Fish is a food consumed by many species, including humans. The word "fish" refers to both the animal and to the food prepared from it. Fish has been an important source of protein for humans throughout recorded history.-Terminology:...
, fish eggs
Roe
Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins...
, and fish intestines.
Jeotgal is mainly used as a condiment
Condiment
A condiment is an edible substance, such as sauce or seasoning, added to food to impart a particular flavor, enhance its flavor, or in some cultures, to complement the dish. Many condiments are available packaged in single-serving sachets , like mustard or ketchup, particularly when supplied with...
in pickling kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
and as a dipping sauce for pig's feet (jokbal
Jokbal
Jokbal is a Korean dish consisting of pigs' feet cooked with soy sauce and spices.-Preparation:The hair is removed from pigs' feet and they are thoroughly washed. Leeks, garlic, ginger, cheongju and water are brought to a boil. The pigs' feet are added, brought back to a boil and then simmered...
) and blood/noodle sausage (sundae
Sundae (Korean food)
Sundae is a Korean dish made generally by boiling or steaming cow or pig's intestines that are stuffed with various ingredients. It is a kind of blood sausage and believed to have been eaten for a long time...
). Sometimes jeotgal, commonly saeujeot, is added to Korean style stews (jjigae
Jjigae
Jjigae is a Korean dish similar to a Western stew. There are many different varieties but it is typically made with meat, seafood or vegetables in a broth seasoned with gochujang, doenjang, ganjang or saeujeot. Jjigae is typically served in a communal dish and boiling hot.A Korean meal almost...
) and soups (guk and tang), for flavor instead of using salt or soy sauce (ganjang).
The types of jeotgal vary depending on main ingredients, regions, and family and personal preferences. In past times, due to the limited transportation, regions near seas had more types of jeot compared to the inland areas.
History
The EryaErya
The Erya is the oldest extant Chinese dictionary or Chinese encyclopedia. Bernhard Karlgren concluded that "the major part of its glosses must reasonably date from" the 3rd century BC....
(爾雅), a Chinese dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
written in the 3rd-5th centuries BC, contains a record about ji (鮨), the origin of jeotgal. Ji indicates jeotgal, food made with fish and is the oldest documents mentioning this food in the historical records.
Types
- SaeujeotSaeujeotSaeujeot is a variety of jeotgal, salted and fermented food made with small shrimp in Korean cuisine. It is the most consumed jeotgal along with myeolchijeot in South Korea. The name consists of the two Korean words, saeu and jeot...
- jeot made with small shrimpShrimpShrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
(saeu, 새우)- Ojeot (오젓) - saeujeot made with shrimp harvested in May
- Yukjeot (육젓) - saeujeot made with shrimp harvested in June
- Tohajeot (토하젓) - jeot made with small fresh waterFresh WaterFresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
shrimp, which is rare local specialty of JeollaJeollaJeolla was a province in southwestern Korea, one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and the Special City of Gwangju as well as Jeju Island...
Province
- Hwangsaegijeot (황새기젓) - jeot made with fish
- MyeolchijeotMyeolchijeotMyeolchijeot or myeolchi jeot is a variety of jeotgal, a salted fermented dish made with anchovies in Korean cuisine. It is the most frequently consumed variety of jeotgal, along with saeujeot in South Korea. The name consists of the two Korean words, myeolchi and jeot...
- jeot made with anchovies (myeolchi, 멸치) - JogijeotJogijeotJogijeot is a variety of jeotgal, a salted fermented dish made with croaker in Korean cuisine. Jeotgal is widely consumed in South Korea. The name consists of the two Korean words, jogi and jeot...
- jeot made with croakerSciaenidaeSciaenidae is a family of fish commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make...
(jogi, 조기) - Jogaejeot (조개젓) - jeot made with shellfishShellfishShellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
- Guljeot (굴젓) - jeot made with oysterOysterThe word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
(gul, 굴) - Eoriguljeot (어리굴젓) - jeot made with salted oysters (gul, 굴) and hot peppers
- MyeongranMyeongranIn Korean cuisine Myeongran or Myeongran jeot is a jeotgal made with the roe of flathead mullet or pollock and seasoned with chili pepper powder. It is commonly served as a banchan, or small dish accompanying rice or as an ingredient for altang , a kind of jjigae...
jeot (명란젓) - jeot made with roe (ran, 란) of pollockPollockPollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...
(myeongtae, 명태) - Changnanjeot (창란젓) - jeot made with pollock intestines
- Ojingeojeot (오징어젓) - Jeot made with squidSquidSquid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
(ojingeo, 오징어) - Ggolddugijeot (꼴뚜기젓) - jeot made with small squid
- GejangGejangGejang or gejeot is a variety of jeotgal, salted fermented seafood in Korean cuisine, which is made by marinating fresh raw crabs either in ganjang or in a sauce based on chili pepper powder. The term consists of the two words; ge, meaning "a crab", and jang which means "condiment" in Korean...
- jeot made with crabs