Jeju food

Jeju's best-known foods include black pork barbecue, gogi-guksu (pork noodle soup), cutlassfish and tilefish dishes, abalone, seafood caught by haenyeo divers and citrus fruits. As an island, it has abundant seafood and many local dishes that differ from the mainland. Unique foods like momguk and bingtteok are also worth trying.

Jeju black pork comes from black-haired pigs. Jeju has its own native black pig line, though not all black pork sold is from purebred native pigs. It is known for its chewy texture and rich flavor, and a famous way to eat it is grilling thick cuts over charcoal and dipping them in meljeot, a salted anchovy sauce. Black pork streets let you browse several restaurants.

Gogi-guksu is a Jeju specialty of medium-thick wheat noodles in rich pork bone broth, topped with slices of boiled pork. It is said to have come from food served at village celebrations. It is not spicy, so almost anyone can enjoy it, and some places also serve a spicy mixed version.

Momguk is a traditional Jeju soup made by simmering a seaweed called mom (gulfweed, or mojaban) in pork and pork bone broth. It is often thickened with buckwheat flour. It was traditionally shared at weddings and funerals, and you can try it at restaurants specializing in Jeju home cooking.

Jeju is famous for silver cutlassfish (galchi), enjoyed grilled, braised in a spicy sauce or in a clear soup. Galchi-guk is a Jeju-style soup cooked with mature pumpkin and napa cabbage, often described as having little fishy taste. Prices vary greatly by fish size, so check before ordering.

Okdom is a tilefish caught in the waters around Jeju, best known semi-dried and grilled. Its mild, tender flesh made it a prized fish for generations. Okdom seaweed soup (okdom miyeok-guk) is another Jeju specialty. Grilled okdom often appears in set meals at Jeju restaurants and markets, and dried okdom is also sold as a gift.

In Jeju you can try abalone porridge (jeonbok-juk), abalone stone-pot rice, grilled abalone and raw abalone. Greenish abalone porridge made with the innards is especially famous. Many travelers enjoy seafood at restaurants run by haenyeo or those that introduce haenyeo culture.

Haenyeo are Jeju's women divers who harvest abalone, turban shells, sea urchins and more without breathing equipment. Jeju haenyeo culture is inscribed on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Some places, often called haenyeo houses, sell seafood caught by the divers, and you can sometimes watch demonstrations.

Seongge miyeok-guk is a Jeju specialty of seaweed soup cooked with sea urchin roe, giving it a rich ocean flavor and nutty taste. Sea urchin is one of the main catches of haenyeo divers. Prices and availability can change depending on the season and supply.

Bingtteok is a traditional Jeju food made by rolling a thin buckwheat crepe around seasoned shredded radish, with a mild, simple flavor. Omegi-tteok is a rice cake made from glutinous millet dough coated in red bean, and it is a popular Jeju souvenir. Both are easy to find in Jeju's traditional markets.

Jeju tangerines are generally in season from late autumn through winter, while hybrid citrus like hallabong is mostly available from winter into spring. During the season, some farms offer tangerine picking. Processed products such as juice, chocolate and snacks are sold year-round.

Mulhoe is raw fish served with vegetables in a cold seasoned broth. In Jeju, jari-mulhoe, made with a small damselfish, and hanchi-mulhoe, made with a type of squid, are famous. Some Jeju-style versions use doenjang in the broth. These dishes are especially popular in summer.

Bomal are small sea snails that live on the rocks along Jeju's shore, and knife-cut noodle soup and porridge made with them are beloved local dishes. The broth is rich and often greenish in color. It is not spicy, so it makes an easy, comforting meal.

Dombe-gogi is Jeju-style boiled pork, sliced and served on a wooden cutting board called a dombe. It is often sold at gogi-guksu restaurants and places serving Jeju home cooking. People eat it with meljeot anchovy sauce or kimchi. The thick slices have a satisfyingly chewy texture, and it is a common dish at local restaurants.

Jeju has a long history of raising horses, and some restaurants serve horse meat. It can be eaten as tartare, grilled or in shabu-shabu, but it is not something everyone enjoys, and opinions differ. If you are curious, check the menu at a specialized restaurant.

Many places in Jeju serve a local-style hangover soup made with beef broth, ox blood, bean sprouts and dried cabbage leaves, and some open early in the morning. Momguk and soups with bracken are also considered distinctly Jeju comfort foods. Many travelers have it for breakfast near the airport before departing.

Jeju bracken (gosari), picked in spring fields and dried, is considered high quality, and gathering it is a local springtime custom. Gosari yukgaejang is a Jeju-style soup of pork and bracken simmered until thick. Dried bracken is also sold as a souvenir.

Dongmun Market in Jeju City is a traditional market where you can find local specialties like tangerines, seafood, omegi-tteok and bingtteok in one place. It is known for a night market offering a variety of street food in the evening. Hours can change, so check before visiting.

Seafood such as raw fish, abalone and cutlassfish is often priced at market rate or by size. Before ordering, check the menu price and whether it is per portion or by weight, and if it says market price, ask staff for the amount. Also ask whether there is a separate table setting charge.

Popular Jeju souvenirs include citrus products, omegi-tteok, dried bracken and processed black pork. Travelers taking fresh fruit to other parts of Korea are not subject to blanket plant inspection, though shipping large amounts of citrus for sale has separate rules. If you are going abroad, check your destination's quarantine rules carefully, and make sure chilled or frozen items are packed properly.