''Gejang'' (게장) or ''gejeot'' (게젓) is a variety of ''
jeotgal
''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby, solid piece ...
'', salted fermented seafood in
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
, which is made by
marinating
Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origin of the word alludes to the use of brine (''aqua marina'' or sea water) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor b ...
fresh raw
crab
Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...
s either in ''
ganjang
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''As ...
'' (
soy sauce
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
) or in a sauce based on
chili pepper
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...
powder. The term consists of the two words; ''ge'', meaning "a crab", and ''jang'' which means "condiment" in Korean.
Although ''gejang'' originally referred only to crabs marinated in soy sauce, it has begun to be called ''ganjang-gejang'' (간장게장) these days to differentiate it from ''
yangnyeom-gejang
''Gejang'' (게장) or ''gejeot'' (게젓) is a variety of ''jeotgal'', salted fermented seafood in Korean cuisine, which is made by marinating fresh raw crabs either in ''ganjang'' (soy sauce) or in a sauce based on chili pepper powder. The term ...
'' (양념게장). The latter is a relatively new dish that emerged since the restaurant industry began to thrive in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
.
"Yangnyeom" literally means "seasoning" or "seasoned" in Korean but refers to the spicy sauce made with chili pepper powder.
Gyeongsang
Gyeongsang ( ko, 경상도, ''Gyeongsang-do''; ) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon dynasty. Gyeongsang was located in the southeast of Korea.
The provincial capital was Daegu. The region was the birthplace of the Kingdom ...
,
Jeolla
Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as wel ...
, and
Jeju Island are famous for their own characteristic ''gejang''.
It is a representative speciality of
Yeosu
Yeosu (; ''Yeosu-si''), historically also Yosu, and known to the Japanese as Reisui during the period when Korea was under Japanese rule, is a city located on the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula in South Jeolla Province, South Korea and ...
in
South Jeolla
South Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollanam-do''; ), also known as Jeonnam, is a province of South Korea. South Jeolla has a population of 1,902,324 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Honam region at the southwestern tip of the Korean ...
Province, and a traditional
Jeolla cuisine dish.
According to a poll of tourists to Korea, gejang is difficult to eat because the dish is too hot and salty.
A similar dish (生腌蟹) exists in China.
Historical records
Historical records on ''gejang'' can be found in books such as ''
Sallim gyeongje
''Sallim gyeongje'', roughly translated as "Farm Management",Gyuhap chongseo
''Gyuhap chongseo'' (roughly translated as "Women's Encyclopedia") is a compendium of advice for women, written by Yi Bingheogak in 1809 during the Korean Joseon Dynasty.
Composition
* ''Jusaui'' () : making ''jang'' (condiments), alcoholic beve ...
'' (lit. "Women's Encyclopedia"),
''
Jubangmun'' (주방문, 酒方文, lit. "Book of Making Alcoholic beverage"), ''
Siui jeonseo
''Siuijeonseo'' () is a Korean cookbook compiled in the late 19th century. The author is unknown but is assumed to be a lady of the yangban (nobility during the Joseon dynasty) class in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province. In 1919, as Sim Hwanjin ...
'' (lit. "Complete Collection of Corrections and Discussions") and others written during the
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
of Korea (1392 - 1910). According to ''Sallim gyeongje'' written around the end of the 17th century, making ''gejang'' is referred to as ''"johaebeop"'' (조해법, 糟蟹法), which means "a way of marinating crabs in sediments of liquor". With the method, crabs are marinated in a mixture of ''jaegang'' (재강, sediments of liquor), salt, and an alcoholic beverage. In general, ''gejang'' spoils if preserved for a long time; however, the ''gejang'' made by the ''johaebeop'' can be even eaten until the next spring. In addition, the book records various ways of making gejang such as ''juhaebeop'' (酒蟹法, made with alcoholic beverage), ''chojang haebeop'' (醋醬蟹法, made with soy sauce and vinegar), ''yeomtang haebeop'' (鹽湯蟹法, made with boiled salted water) as well as methods of rearing crabs are called ''Yukseon chibeop'' (肉膳治法). Therefore, the record verifies that the consumption of ''gejang'' in
Korean diet appeared at least as early as the 17th century.
Crabs and harvest
![Korea-Daejeon-Live crab bundles at a market-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Korea-Daejeon-Live_crab_bundles_at_a_market-01.jpg)
According to
Korean traditional medicine
Traditional Korean medicine (known in North Korea as Koryo medicine) refers to the forms of traditional medicine practiced in Korea.
History
Korean medicine traditions originated in ancient and prehistoric times and can be traced back as far a ...
, crab has a cold nature that could cool one's
body temperature
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...
, so ''gejang'' is believed to be good for driving away the spring fever. Although ''gejang'' was originally made with
freshwater crab
Around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs are distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. They show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs, which relea ...
s in general, such crabs are becoming scarce, so the ''gejang'' made with ''kkotge'' (
horse crab) caught in the
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...
(West Sea), the west side of
Korean peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, has become prevalent. Among ''gejang'' made with freshwater crabs, ''chamgejang'' of
North Gyeongsang Province
North Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상북도, translit=Gyeongsangbuk-do, ) is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remained a province of Korea until the ...
, which can be preserved and eaten after one year passes and ''beotteok gejang'', which can be eaten immediately after preparation, are the most famous.
Preparation
To prepare ''ganjang-gejang'', crabs are first thoroughly cleaned using a brush while submerged in a bowl of water, and are then rinsed to remove the moisture. The crabs are put in a ''
hangari'' (earthenware
crock) and are salted for about six hours. To prepare the sauce, a mixture of ''ganjang'' is boiled briefly along with sesame oil, sugar, finely sliced
scallions
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...
, minced garlic, ginger, and finely shredded fresh red
chili pepper
Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...
. Once the salted crabs are removed from the ''hangari'' and placed in a suitable bowl, the hot sauce is poured onto the crabs. An hour later, the ''ganjang'' is removed from the bowl and reheated until boiling. It is again poured over the crabs, and the procedure is repeated for a third and fourth time. The dish can be eaten once the sauce is chilled. If using boiled ''ganjang'' after it has been chilled, the ''gejang'' can be eaten two weeks after preparation, and it can be preserved for longer. A variation involves adding minced beef while the sauce is poured over the crabs, endowing the ''gejang'' with more spices.
In recent days, some people add lemon, chili pepper, or traditional medicine when making ''gejang'' in order to remove the fishy smell and to increase its rich flavor.
[Han Nam-hui (한남희), (Feb. 17, 2006) (in Korean]
바람난 바다 봄을 부르다. (The Windy Sea calls in Spring)
Chungcheong Today
As for ''yangnyeom gejang'', the dish is made with raw crabs and a spicy and sweet sauce of chili pepper powder, and ground
Korean pear
''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, pa ...
, onions, ginger and garlic, as well as whole sesame seeds, and
sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. O ...
. In general, the ''gejang'' can be eaten a half day after the preparation and consuming the dish within two or three days is best to have its intact spicy and sweet and sour taste. If crabs are first marinated in a boiled and chilled mixture of ''eakjeok'' (액젓, filtered ''
jeotgal
''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby, solid piece ...
'') and soy sauce before mixing the spicy sauce, the ''yangnyeom gejang'' can be well marinated with the latter sauce, and can be preserved longer.
Types
Types are divided by crab species, region, and cooking method. Among varieties, ''beoltteok gejang'' (벌떡게장) is a local specialty of
Jeolla Province
Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as wel ...
and is made with live ''
Charybdis
Charybdis (; grc, Χάρυβδις, Khárybdis, ; la, Charybdis, ) is a sea monster in Greek mythology. She, with the sea monster Scylla, appears as a challenge to epic characters such as Odysseus, Jason, and Aeneas. Scholarship locates her in t ...
'', which are called either ''beoltteokge'' (벌떡게) or ''minkkotge'' (민꽃게) in Korean. The crab has a hard
carapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
with a reddish-brown color and is found in the seawater of Korea according to ''
Jasaneobo'' (자산어보 "Fishes of the Huksan Island"), the first Korean
fisheries science
Fisheries science is the academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. It is a multidisciplinary science, which draws on the disciplines of limnology, oceanography, freshwater biology, marine biology, meteorology, conservation, eco ...
book written by the scholar
Jeong Yak-jeon (정약전) in 1814. To make the ''gejang'', the crabs are cut into several pieces or used whole if they are not large. One or two days after the ''beoltteokge'' have been marinated in a ''ganjang''-based sauce, one can enjoy the ''gejang'' which has a fresh and sweet taste. However, ''beoltteok gejang'' can not be preserved for a long time, so it is said that the name reflects the fact; ''beotteok'' means "quickly" or "immediately" in Korean.
''Kkotgejang'' (꽃게장) is made with ''kkotge'' (
horse crab), which is the most consumed crab in South Korea. It is also a local specialty of
Jeolla Province
Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as wel ...
, and the dish is known for the umami taste. After cleaned, the live crabs are chopped into several pieces, and a mixture of ''ganjang'', sliced scallions, garlic, ginger, chili pepper powder, sesame seeds, salted is poured over them. It can be eaten one day after preparation.
Another local speciality of Jeolla Province is ''konggejeot'' (콩게젓) which is indigenous to
Gangjin County
Gangjin County (''Gangjin-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Gangjin county proper was established in 1895. The county office is located in Gangjin-eup.
The Gangjin Kiln Sites are ...
. The ''gejeng'' is made by grinding crabs as small as a bean (''kong'' in Korean) with
millstone
Millstones or mill stones are stones used in gristmills, for grinding wheat or other grains. They are sometimes referred to as grindstones or grinding stones.
Millstones come in pairs: a convex stationary base known as the ''bedstone'' and ...
s. The thick ground paste is mixed with salt and
gochujang
''Gochujang'' (, from Korean: , ) or red chili paste
* is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking. It is made from gochu-garu (chili powder), glutinous rice, ''meju'' (fermented soybean) powder, ''yeotgireum'' ...
. In
Jeju Island, ''gejang'' is called ''gingijeot'' (깅이젓) made on every fifteenth of March in the
lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar based on the monthly cycles of the Moon's phases (synodic months, lunations), in contrast to solar calendars, whose annual cycles are based only directly on the solar year. The most commonly used calendar, the Gre ...
at low tide. It is traditionally said that ''gingijeot'' is good to cure every illness in the region.
''Chamgejang'' (참게장) is a local specialty of
Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
and is made with ''chamge'' (
Chinese mitten crab
The Chinese mitten crab ('; , "big sluice crab"), also known as the Shanghai hairy crab (, p ''Shànghǎi máoxiè''), is a medium-sized burrowing crab that is named for its furry claws, which resemble mittens. It is native to river ...
) which generally live in the rivers of Korea which flow to the
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...
. ''Chamge'' harvested in the
Imjin River
The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The river i ...
near the
Paju
Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun'').
The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...
region is especially famous for its unique taste and having a less earthy smell, so for many centuries the crabs were presented to the King of Korea as a delicacy. As demonstrated by the fact that records on ''chamge'' can be found in several historical documents regarding fisheries and cuisine such as ''
Jasaneobo'', ''
Gyuhap chongseo
''Gyuhap chongseo'' (roughly translated as "Women's Encyclopedia") is a compendium of advice for women, written by Yi Bingheogak in 1809 during the Korean Joseon Dynasty.
Composition
* ''Jusaui'' () : making ''jang'' (condiments), alcoholic beve ...
'' (Women's Encyclopedia
), and the chapter ''Jeoneoji'' (전어지) of ''
Imwon gyeongjeji'' (임원경제지), the dish has been eaten by Koreans for a long time. However, these days pollution in the rivers has decreased the crab's habitat, so ''chamge'' is barely found except in Imjin River. ''Chamgejang'' is commonly nicknamed "bapdoduk' (밥도둑, literally "a meal thief" or "a rice thief") because it is considered a good dish for arousing one's appetite. The dish is intended to preserve for long periods, so the ''gejang'' is saltier than other varieties.
''Chamgejang'' is also widely eaten in
Gyeongsang Province
Gyeongsang ( ko, 경상도, ''Gyeongsang-do''; ) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon dynasty. Gyeongsang was located in the southeast of Korea.
The provincial capital was Daegu. The region was the birthplace of the Kingd ...
, and is prepared at every house during autumn to make a ''
banchan
''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish or ...
'' (small side dish) for the next summer. The crabs are also caught in rice fields during the harvest season, and female crabs are considered the best because they contain a lot of roe and fatty
tomalley
Tomalley (from the Carib word ', meaning a sauce of lobster liver), crab fat, or lobster paste is the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of lobsters, that fulfills the functions of both the liver and the pancreas. Tomalley correspo ...
.
Serving
Yeosu
Yeosu (; ''Yeosu-si''), historically also Yosu, and known to the Japanese as Reisui during the period when Korea was under Japanese rule, is a city located on the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula in South Jeolla Province, South Korea and ...
is famous for ''gejang'' as well as ''gat kimchi'' (갓김치). A meal emphasizing ''ganjang-gejang'' is called ''gejang baekban'' (게장백반) that consists of a plate ''ganjang-gejang'', various plates of ''banchan'' (side dishes), and a bowl of cooked rice.
[Kim Gang-suk (김강숙) (in Korean]
''해외 여행이 지겨워진 당신을 위한 국내코스 - 테마여행 (Themed tour - Domestic courses for those who are bored of aboard travel)''
Joins Join may refer to:
* Join (law), to include additional counts or additional defendants on an indictment
*In mathematics:
** Join (mathematics), a least upper bound of sets orders in lattice theory
** Join (topology), an operation combining two topo ...
See also
*
Jeotgal
''Jeotgal'' () or ''jeot'' (), translated as salted seafood, is a category of salted preserved dishes made with seafood such as shrimps, oysters, clams, fish, and roe. Depending on the ingredients, ''jeotgal'' can range from flabby, solid piece ...
, salted fermented seafood
*
Jangajji
''Jangajji'' () or pickled vegetables is a type of ''banchan'' (side dish) made by pickling vegetables.
* Unlike kimchi, ''jangajji'' is non-fermented vegetables, usually pickled in soy sauce, soybean paste, or chili paste. ''Jangajji'' dishe ...
, salted pickled vegetables
*
Banchan
''Banchan'' (, from Korean: ) or bansang are small side dishes served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. As the Korean language does not distinguish between singular and plural grammatically, the word is used for both one such dish or ...
, small side dishes
*
Korean cuisine
Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
*
List of crab dishes
This is a list of crab dishes. Crabs live in all the world's oceans, in fresh water, and on land, are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton and are arthropoda and have a single pair of claws. Crab meat is the meat found within a crab. It is ...
*
List of seafood dishes
This is a list of notable seafood dishes. Seafood dishes are food dishes which use seafood (fish, shellfish or seaweed) as primary ingredients, and are ready to be served or eaten with any needed preparation or cooking completed. Many fish or ...
References
External links
군산 계곡가든 꽃게장at
The Hankyoreh
''The Hankyoreh'' (, literally "The Korean Nation" or "One Nation") is a centre-left liberal daily newspaper in South Korea. It was established in 1988 after widespread purges forced out dissident journalists, and was envisioned as an alternati ...
참을 수 없는 꽃게장의 유혹at
Hankook Ilbo
''Hankook Ilbo'' () is a Korean-language daily newspaper in Seoul, South Korea. As of 2017, it had a daily circulation of about 213,200.
It was previously published by the Hankook Ilbo Media Group, however following an embezzlement scandal in ...
Recipeat
Patzzi
Yangnyeom gejang recipeat
Patzzi
{{Jeotgal
Jeotgal
Crab dishes
Korean cuisine
Animal-based fermented foods