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 pieces to clear, broth-like liquid. Solid jeotgal are usually eaten as banchan (side dishes). Liquid jeotgal, called aekjeot or fish sauce, is popularly used in kimchi seasoning, as well as in various soups and stews (guk, jijimi, jjigae). As a condiment, jeotgal with smaller bits of solid ingredients such as saeu-jeot (shrimp jeotgal) is commonly served as a dipping sauce with pork dishes (bossam, jokbal, samgyeopsal), sundae (Korean sausage), hoe (raw fish), and a number of soups and stews.

History

Fermented foods were widely available in Three Kingdoms of Korea, as Sānguózhì, a Jin Chinese historical text published in 289, mentions that the Goguryeo Koreans are skilled in making fermented foods such as wine, soybean paste and salted and fermented fish in the section titled Dongyi in the Book of Wei. The first Korean record of jeotgal appeared in Samguk Sagi, with a reference that King Sinmun offered rice, wine, jerky, and jeotgal as wedding presents in 683. In 1124, a Song Chinese envoy wrote that jeotgal was enjoyed by high and low alike in Goryeo. Twenty-four types of jeotgal appear in Miam ilgi (眉巖日記), a 16th-century diary written by a 16th century Joseon literatus Yu Hui-chun, and over 180 types of jeotgal can be found in the coeval books Gosa chwaryo (고사촬요; 攷事撮要) and Swaemirok (쇄미록; 瑣尾錄), and in 17‒18th century books Eumsik dimibang, Sallim gyeongje, and Jeungbo sallim gyeongje.

Types

The types of jeotgal vary depending on main ingredients, regions, and family and personal preferences. In past times, due to the limited availability of transportation, regions near seas had more types of jeot compared to the inland areas.

Fish (fish innards and roe)

• Baendaengi-jeot – salted sardinella • Baengeo-jeot – salted baby Chirolophis Japonicus(East asian prickleback) • Biut-jeot – salted herring • Bolak-jeot – salted rockfish • Byeongeo-jeot – salted silver pomfret • Changnan-jeot – salted pollock innards • Cheongeo-al-jeot – salted herring roe • Daegu-al-jeot – salted cod roe • Daegu-iri-jeot – salted cod milt • Daechang-jeot – salted cod innards • Domi-jeot – salted sea bream • Dorumuk-jeot – salted sandfish • Euneo-al-jeot – salted sweetfish roe • Gajami-jeot – salted righteye flounder • Galchi-jeot – salted hairtail • Galchi-sok-jeot – salted hairtail innards • Gangdari-jeot – salted Collichthys niveatus(bighead croakerspecies under the family Sciaenidae) • Godeungeo-naejang-jeot – salted chub mackerel innards • Goji-jeot – salted pollock milt • Gwangnan-jeot – salted olive flounder roe • Ingeo-jeot – salted carp • Jangjae -jeot – salted cod gill • Jari-jeot – salted pearl-spot chromis • Jeoneo-bam-jeot – salted gizzard shad tripe • Jeoneo-jeot – salted gizzard shad • Jeongeori-jeot – salted sardine • Jogi-agami-jeot – salted yellow croaker gill • Jogi-al-jeot – salted yellow croaker roe • Jogi-jeot – salted yellow croaker • Junchi-jeot – salted ilisha • kkongchi-jeot – salted saury • Maegari-jeot – salted jack mackerel • Myeolchi-jeot – salted anchovy • Myeongnan-jeot – salted pollock roe • Myeongtae-agami-jeot – salted pollock gill • Nansa-jeot – salted baby sandlance • Neungseongeo-jeot – salted grouper • Obunjagi-jeot – salted baby abalone • Sokjeot – salted yellow croaker innards • Sungeo-al-jeot – salted mullet roe • Taean-jeot – salted pollock eye • Ttora-jeot – salted mullet innards • Ungeo-jeot – salted grenadier anchovy • Yeoneo-al-jeot – salted salmon roe • Yeopsak-jeot – salted gizzard shad tripe

Shellfish and other marine animals

• Bajirak-jeot – salted Manila clam • Bangge-jeot – salted thoracotrematan crab • Daeha-jeot – salted fleshy prawn • Daehap-jeot – salted oriental clam • Dongjuk-jeot – salted astarte • Gaetgajae-jeot – salted mantis shrimp • Ge-al-jeot – salted crab roe • Gejang – salted crab • Geut-jeot – salted abalone innards • Gonjaengi-jeot – salted mysid shrimp • Guljeot – salted oyster • Haesam-chang-jeot – salted sea cucumber innards • Haesam-jeot – salted sea cucumber • Hanchi-jeot – salted mitre squid • Haran-jeot – salted shrimp roe • Honghap-jeot – salted mussel • Jeonbok-jeot – salted abalone • Jogae-jeot – salted clam • Kkolttugi-jeot – salted baby squid • Kkotge-jeot – salted blue crab • Matjeot – salted razor clam • Meongge-jeot – salted sea pineapple • Mosijogae-jeot – salted venus clam • Nakji-jeot – salted octopus • Ojingeo-jeot – salted squid • Pijogae-jeot – salted blood clam • Saengi-jeot – salted freshwater shrimp • Saeu-jeot – salted shrimp • Seha-jeot – salted glass shrimp • Seongge-al-jeot – salted sea urchin roe • Seongge-jeot – salted sea urchin • Sora-jeot – salted horned turban • Tohwa-jeot – salted estuarine oyster

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