Jeon and Korean pancakes

Jeon refers to ingredients such as vegetables, meat or fish that are sliced or minced, coated in flour and egg, then pan-fried. Popular kinds include meat patties, zucchini and fish fillet jeon. They are essential at holidays and ancestral rites, eaten with soy dipping sauce, and markets sell many varieties.

Buchimgae usually means a large pancake made by mixing ingredients into a batter, while jeon more often means individual pieces coated in flour and egg. In everyday speech, though, the words are often used interchangeably, and pajeon or kimchijeon may be called either. Some regions also use the word jijimi.

Pajeon is a large savory pancake made by laying green onions in a pan and pouring batter over them. Haemul pajeon, with squid, shrimp and clams, is especially popular. It has crispy edges and a soft center, and it pairs famously with makgeolli. Dongnae pajeon from Busan is a well-known regional style.

Eating pajeon with makgeolli on a rainy day is a well-loved Korean custom. A popular explanation is that the sizzling of batter in oil sounds like falling rain, though this is more a sentimental story than a proven reason. Pancake houses and makgeolli bars often fill up when it rains.

Kimchijeon is a pancake made with chopped kimchi mixed into the batter, giving it a tangy and slightly spicy flavor. Well-fermented sour kimchi is considered best. It is one of the easiest pancakes to make at home and a popular snack or drinking food. Some versions add pork or squid.

Bindaetteok, also called nokdujeon, is a thick pancake made from ground soaked mung beans mixed with bean sprouts, fern brake, pork and kimchi, then fried in plenty of oil. It is crispy outside and nutty inside. The mung bean pancakes at Gwangjang Market in Seoul are especially famous with visitors.

For Seollal and Chuseok, families fry many kinds of jeon, such as meat patties, pollack fillets, zucchini, skewered jeon and beef jeon, for ancestral rites and family meals. Frying piles of jeon together is an iconic part of holiday preparation, though many households now buy them from markets or side dish shops.

Jeon is usually dipped in chogan-jang, soy sauce mixed with vinegar, chili flakes and green onion. Many places serve soy sauce with sliced onions in it. The tangy sauce cuts through the oiliness. If a pancake is already well seasoned, you can enjoy it plain.

Gamjajeon is a pancake made from grated potato seasoned with salt and fried thin. It is crisp outside and pleasantly chewy inside. It is known as a local specialty of Gangwon Province, where potatoes are a major crop. Some recipes use little or no wheat flour at all.

A jeonjip is a restaurant or pub specializing in pancakes. Ordering a modeum-jeon platter gets you an assortment of different jeon on one plate, usually enjoyed with makgeolli or soju. In Seoul, the jeon alley at Gongdeok Market in Mapo and the bindaetteok street at Gwangjang Market are known for clusters of pancake houses. They get especially busy on rainy days.

Many jeon are made only with vegetables, such as zucchini, potato, mushroom and garlic chive pancakes. However, the batter often contains egg, and seafood or meat is frequently mixed in. If you are vegan, ask about egg and seafood. The same dish name can mean different ingredients at different restaurants.

Haemul pajeon contains green onions plus seafood such as squid, shrimp, clams and oysters. The seafood is often laid over the batter and topped with beaten egg as it cooks. Avoid it if you are allergic to shellfish or crustaceans. Coastal areas tend to load it with even more seafood.

Keep the batter thin, use plenty of oil and make sure the pan is properly hot before frying. Many cooks mix batter with ice-cold water or blend pancake mix with frying mix for extra crunch. Avoid flipping too often; let each side brown fully before turning.

Donggeurangttaeng are small round patties of minced pork or beef mixed with tofu and vegetables, coated in flour and egg and pan-fried. They are also called yukwonjeon. They are a must at holidays and a favorite in lunch boxes, and children especially love them.

Buchujeon is a pancake packed with garlic chives. In the Gyeongsang region chives are called jeongguji, so it is often called jeongguji jjijim. Many Korean dishes have different names depending on the region. It is fried thin and crisp and dipped in soy sauce, sometimes with hot green chili added.

Jeon tastes best fresh from the pan when it is hot and crisp. To revive leftover pancakes, reheat them in a dry frying pan rather than the microwave. After holidays, many families toss leftover jeon into a spicy stew called jeon-jjigae so nothing goes to waste.

Yukjeon is thinly sliced beef seasoned with salt and pepper, coated in flour and egg, then pan-fried. It is tender and savory, often eaten with shredded green onion salad or fresh kimchi. Specialist yukjeon restaurants are well known in places such as Gwangju in the Jeolla region.

Most jeon use wheat flour or pancake mix in the batter, so they contain gluten. Mung bean pancakes and potato pancakes may use little or no wheat, but restaurants often add some flour anyway. If you must avoid gluten, ask directly about the ingredients before ordering.

Buchimgaru is Korean pancake mix: wheat flour pre-blended with starch, salt and seasonings such as garlic powder. Just add water and you have a seasoned batter ready to fry. It is sold in every supermarket, and some travelers buy it to recreate Korean pancakes at home.

You can find jeon at traditional markets, pancake houses, makgeolli bars and Korean restaurants. Market stalls often fry pancakes on the spot and sell them by weight or piece. Some snack shops and street tents also serve pajeon or kimchijeon. Market jeon shops get very busy around holidays.