VISIT JEJU

These are dyed clothes using the juice of green persimmons. At first, the material becomes hard and takes the color of red clay, but with more frequent wear, the color changes to brown and the material becomes softer to the touch. It was a perfect item for work clothes as it was not prone to being easily soiled or soaked in sweat.

Made up of the water towel on one’s head, Mulsojungi pant, and Muljeoksam top, this was the clothing that Jeju Haenyeo (female diver) used to wear during Muljil (diving work) before the black rubber clothing from Japan came into place in the early 1970s.

Made of stem of Cocculus roots that grow in the mountains, the hat was mainly worn by shepherd or farmers. The hat block was sized to fit the head of the wearers, while the Gat was made relatively large to block the sunlight.

People visiting Jeju Island for the first time often get confused to which restaurant they should go to in order to have the best black pig. The best answer for this scenario is, “Go anywhere”. Jeju’s black pig cuisine tastes good no matter where you go. The grilled black pig tastes even better when you dip it in the Meljeot sauce, which is made of anchovies. It gets rid of the oily richness of the meat and invigorates the taste-buds at the same time.

Jeju has a lot of pheasants, which has resulted in a diverse range of pheasant dishes. It is the autumn pheasants that taste the best and one can eat them as raw pheasant or pheasant jerky.

Kkwong Toryeom, thinly sliced, pheasant’s breast meat can be eaten as Shabu-shabu, which is another Jeju delicacy. The Kkwong Memil Guksu (Buckwheat Noodles in Pheasant Broth) made of Jeju buckwheat and pheasant broth is light and easy for digestion. Kkwong Manduguk (Pheasant Dumpling Soup) boasts of a clean taste without the oiliness.

Horse dishes used to be the highest quality cuisine that went into the King’s royal table. Horse can be applied to Ma Yukhoe (Horse Tartar), Ma Chobap (Horse Sushi), Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Horse), Galbi Jjim (Stewed Ribs), Seanggui (Grilled Horse), and Bulgogi. Horse meat is lighter in taste than beef and there is a different taste for sections such as intestines, raw liver, and lean meat.

It is easy to see pork noodle soup houses in Jeju Island.

One can eat pork noodle soup with noodles in creamily infused meat broth, add boiled pork on top, and personalize the flavor to your taste-buds by putting in Cheongyang Gochu (Cheongyang Hot Pepper), chili pepper powder, and powdered black pepper. It is a great way to fill up your stomach eating thick mid-sized noodles with Suyuk (Boiled Pork Slices).

Pork noodle soup is a great way to cure hangovers but also causes people to have cravings for alcohol. Just like how drinking the spicy noodle soup makes you want to have a shot of soju, there is a lot of alcohol in the refreshing and meaty pork noodle soup. Drinking it with the Jeju Island region soju, Hallasan, would be a great finish!

After lightly frying seaweed with sesame oil, boil it with sea urchin and abalone. Season it with salt, and the sea urchin roe will be yellow-colored and clumped like Sundubu (Soft Tofu), giving it a sweet but light taste. In Jeju, sea urchin is called ‘Gusal’ so Seonggeguk (Sea Urchin Soup) is often called ‘Gusalguk’.

Hwangdom (Crimson Sea Bream) is one of the most commonly found fish in Jeju.

It is affordable and savory in taste. It is not easy to find on land so it is highly recommend that you have a taste of Hwangdom (Crimson Sea Bream) in Jeju Island.For those seeking something a bit more luxurious than Hwangdom, there is Gatdom (Striped Beakfish). Okdom (Red Tilefish) ripens at the beginning of spring, and is tastes the best between December and March.

Hanchi (Spear Squid) is loved during the summertime as it is in season during June to August due to its soft chewy taste. Bangeo (Yellowtail) is in season from September to the end of October. Bengedom (Largescale Blackfish) is another Jeju delicacy that is tastiest from December to March, often caught through fishing. All of these fishes are Jeju must-eats.

There is a great variety of delicacies from mid-April to the beginning of May including Mulhoe (Raw Fish in Cold Broth), Jari Mulhoe (Raw Damselfish in Spicy Cold Broth), Haesam Mulhoe (Raw Sea Cucumber in Spicy Cold Broth), Sora Mulhoe (Raw Horned Turbans in Cold Broth) and Hanchi Mulhoe (Raw Spear Squid in Spicy Cold Broth). The ingredients are fresh and the taste is splendid so all you need to do is choose according to your preferences!

The cooking method usually consist of thinly slicing vegetables such as dropwort, pear, cucumber, perilla leaves, and green chili and mixing it with the seafood along with a variety of seasonings, then pouring in some water and including ice. It is also recommended to mix a bowl of rice with the seasoning left over after eating all the seafood.

There are various ways to eat beltfish in Jeju Island.

Firstly, you can eat it as a fresh raw fish. Many presume that Galchi Hoe (Sliced Raw Beltfish) would have a fishy taste, but that is far from the truth! It is chewy and tastes delicious, making it a popular dish. The second most frequently eaten method is as a braised dish. Fresh beltfish simply melts in your mouth.

The braised dish that has been seasoned with the spicy Jeju chili pepper powder tastes delicious mixed with rice. If you want to get a real authentic taste of beltfish, then grilled beltfish is recommended. If you are looking for a unique flavor, then give Galchi Guk (Beltfish Soup) a try. Boiled with old pumpkin and clear soup and seasoned with chili pepper, Beltfish Soup is a wonderful remedy for hangovers as well.

Lastly, there is Galchijeot (Salted Beltfish). Put in a spoonful of Galchijeot (Salted Beltfish) on a bowl of hot, steamy rice bowl, and you’ll find yourself asking for seconds.

Godeungeo (Mackerel) has plentiful of amount of DHA and amino acid, which makes it a wonderful choice for preventing lifestyle related diseases. 

You can eat Godeungeo (Mackerel) through all four seasons by preserving and drying it as salted dry fish. But Godeungeo (Mackerel) tastes best as a braised dish and a grilled dish, with the freshness intact. When grilling, the Godeungeo’s (Mackerel) natural oil seeps out, making it glisten. Its deep and abundant taste is exquisite.

One of the best seafood cuisines is, hands down, Obunjagi (Abalone). Obunjagi (Abalone) is a mollusk similar to abalone that lives on rocks 20 meters below the water. Approximately 70% of all domestically caught Obunjagi (Abalone) comes from Jeju Island. Obunjagi (Abalone) contains a high quantity of vitamin B and minerals such as calcium and iron. One can fry it or use it the ingredient for Doenjang Jjigae (Soy Bean Paste Stew) and rice porridge, or even eat it after it has been made into salted seafood.

Also known as the wild ginseng of the sea, abalone is abundant with nutrition and a great deal of abalone is caught in Jeju. One often eats abalone as raw abalone, but you can add it into porridge, hot pot, Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup), or other various stews to turn them into haute cuisine. Abalone porridge with thinly sliced abalone that has been slightly fried on sesame oil and boiled with steeped rice boasts a clean and delicious taste.

Sora (Horned Turbans) has more protein than fish and it strong flesh. After cleaning it with slightly dashed salt water, you roast it whole in charcoal to make Sora Gui (Grilled Horned Turbans). After separating the body and intestines, you can dip it into the sauce and enjoy the scent of the ocean as it spreads in your mouth. It is an exquisite delicacy.

Bingtteok (Jeju-style Radish-stuffed Buckwheat Crepes) is called Bingtteok because it is a Tteok (Rice Cake) that is rolled round and round. Knead the soft buckwheat flour and griddle them into thin and circular pancakes. Then add radishes, carrots, green onions, salt, sesame powder, and sesame oil together to create the filling and then add that on top the pancake, resulting in Bingtteok (Jeju-style Radish-stuffed Buckwheat Crepes).

The traditional house of Jeju begins with the ‘Olle’. In the entrance of the Olle is the ‘Jeongnang’. The Jeongnang is the three logs that are laid across the entrance. The stone pillar erected on each side of the Olle entrance where the Jeongnang is inserted is called ‘Jeongjumok’. It is said that the Jeongnang was first made because of horses and cows. According to the tradition of Jeju, people used to put horses and cows out to pasture. They needed to put up Jeongnang in order to prevent the horses and cows from coming into their house. The reason why they used logs rather than making a door was because of the wind. Jeongnang is not affected by the wind, so it does not fall even in the case of a storm.

Why were there three logs? It was a signal between the home owner and the guest that allowed them to exchange information. If there were three logs, then it meant that the home owner was out for the entire day. If there were two logs, then the home owner was out for a relatively long time. If there was only one log, then it meant the home owner was out for a short period of time. Depending on the house, the length of Olle was short or elongated. It also had various forms, from straight to curved and from circular to wide to narrow.

Jeju Island has a lot of wind. But even the toughest wind becomes milder after they going through an Olle stonewall that has been built with a moderate curve. It is difficult to see the inside of the house because of the Olle. As such, the Olle acted as an entity that would block the outsiders from looking in as well as the wind from coming in. Jeongnang and Olle are unique residential sights that can only be seen in Jeju, and nowhere else in the world.

The traditional house of Jeju begins with the ‘Olle’. In the entrance of the Olle is the ‘Jeongnang’. The Jeongnang is the three logs that are laid across the entrance. The stone pillar erected on each side of the Olle entrance where the Jeongnang is inserted is called ‘Jeongjumok’. It is said that the Jeongnang was first made because of horses and cows.

According to the tradition of Jeju, people used to put horses and cows out to pasture. They needed to put up Jeongnang in order to prevent the horses and cows from coming into their house. The reason why they used logs rather than making a door was because of the wind. Jeongnang is not affected by the wind, so it does not fall even in the case of a storm.

Why were there three logs? It was a signal between the home owner and the guest that allowed them to exchange information. If there were three logs, then it meant that the home owner was out for the entire day. If there were two logs, then the home owner was out for a relatively long time. If there was only one log, then it meant the home owner was out for a short period of time. Depending on the house, the length of Olle was short or elongated. It also had various forms, from straight to curved and from circular to wide to narrow.

Jeju Island has a lot of wind. But even the toughest wind becomes milder after they going through an Olle stonewall that has been built with a moderate curve. It is difficult to see the inside of the house because of the Olle. As such, the Olle acted as an entity that would block the outsiders from looking in as well as the wind from coming in. Jeongnang and Olle are unique residential sights that can only be seen in Jeju, and nowhere else in the world.

The straw-roofed house is also another unique residential view that can be witnessed only in Jeju. First and foremost, it is extremely strong. The exterior is built with stonewall. The wall is applied with soil, which strengthens the stonewall.

The roof is covered with band and tied with a thick rope, like a go board. The straw-roofed house of Jeju Island is the result of the wisdom of Jeju’s virtuous men, who sought to overcome their natural environment, which saw a great deal of rain and wind. What is unique is that everything resembles the shape of the ‘character, and that there is no Sarangmadang or Sarangchae (main building where the men stay and welcome guests) unlike houses of other regions.

Jeju house are arranged into the Angeori (building located at the center of the compound) and the Bakgeori using the courtyard as the central point. The Angeori stores liquor for ancestral rites, and is where ancestral rites take place. When the son of the household gets married, the parents live in the Angeori and the son’s new family live on the Bakgeori.

After some period of time, they switch, which signifies that the role of performing the ancestral rite has moved from the parents to the son’s family. Family affairs, monetary gifts, joint property rights, and attending to the temple could only be done by the people living in the Angeori. Thus, the Angeori was very meaningful. Both the Angeori and Bakgeori had separate kitchens, jar platforms, and Tongsi (toilets) so that the two generations could live independently from one another.

It is considered as one household, but in economic terms, it actually retains two families. As a result, in Jeju houses, there is an eclectic mixture of a unique family system, climate countermeasures, geometric geography, and shaman faith resulting in a combined culture.

Dottongsi is Jeju’s traditional toilet. It lacks a roof, and only has low stone walls to block out the wind and keep outsiders from looking in. There is no door, no need to worry about falling into the basin, and no hazard of night soil splashing onto your feet. As such, it was a safe and cool toilet that people could use to take care of their business while looking around.

However, it was not just simply a toilet, but served as a cage for pigs as well. Barley straw was placed on the floor of the Dottongsi. By undergoing natural fermentation with the barley straw, which was mixed with the bodily waste of people, pigs became invaluable fertilizer for Jeju agriculture. Dottongsi is an unparalleled environment purifying space as well as a unique residential cultural element that can only be seen in Jeju Island.