Plump right side, crunching bones... You must eat now, the 'Summer Sashimi Trio'

■ Lee Woo-seok's Foodology - Gizzard Shad, Grouper, Mullet

Namhae Line summer raw fish (herring) is considered the best.

It has a lot of grease, and the taste and smell are also good.

Sea bass commonly caught from June to early September

A soft and moist texture is outstanding.

Mieo is famous as a traditional restorative food.

A mild taste unlike tuna and mackerel

The short mackerel has appeared. Fish restaurants are displaying signs that say "Short Mackerel Season Begins." They say it's "autumn short mackerel," but how many careless fish have been caught and brought in? No, actually, it was summer short mackerel. In the southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province, where short mackerel is most enjoyed, the best way to eat it is before autumn arrives. Short mackerel is eaten as "sekkoshi," a method where the bones are eaten along with the flesh, so it must be eaten before the bones become too hard in autumn. Grilled short mackerel is also best to eat now, when you can just chew and swallow the small bones.

Those who enjoy fishing often complain that there are not many fish to catch in the summer. It doesn't feel right. Even when looking at a fish guide, it seems to be the case. Mainly, it includes croaker, sea bass, conger eel, pomfret, and mackerel. The seasonal fish around the Korean Peninsula are mostly available in winter. At least, the early arrival of gizzard shad is welcomed with open arms.

 

The Japanese pufferfish is a fish that grows to about the size of an adult's palm (15-30 cm) and lives along the southwestern coast of the Korean Peninsula. It fattens up and gathers near the coast just before the late autumn spawning season. In the case of fish, the period when they gather in coastal waters and are easy to catch is called the peak season. In the past, it was mainly eaten grilled except in the fishing areas, but nowadays it is also enjoyed as sashimi. This is due to its sudden rise in popularity. Sometimes, live fish are transported by water truck to the city. By September, many sashimi restaurants across Seoul display Japanese pufferfish in their tanks to signal that the season has arrived.

 

The name "jeon-eo" (gizzard shad) uses the character for money (錢), but in fact, it was an ordinary fish. Whether openly saying "jeon-eo? I'm too embarrassed to give it to others~" along the west coast of Chungnam, or on the southern coast which has long been popular, it was the same everywhere. Fish expert Jeong Yak-jeon wrote in the "Jasan Eobo" that "it is called jeon-eo because everyone could eat it without worrying about money."

 

Raw fish sashimi at "Hong-eo and Min-eo" in Jongno, Seoul. It was thickly sliced into chunks.

 

Raw fish sashimi at "Hong-eo and Min-eo" in Jongno, Seoul. It was thickly sliced into chunks.

Because it is easily spoiled due to its high oil content and difficult to transport inland, it was even harder to get a fair price. Although it was cheap and caught in large quantities, it seems that the taste was still good. There were many stories praising the taste of the gizzard shad, such as "The daughter-in-law who left home returns upon smelling the grilled shad," "The head of the shad is covered in sesame seeds," and "People seek shad (money fish) no matter how much it costs." The contradictory stories about shad prices probably stem from the transportation technology of the time. Because it was carefully stored (?) it was considered a precious fish in Seoul, but in the place of origin, it was often treated as cheap, and this was true not only for shad.

Because it is easily spoiled due to its high oil content and difficult to transport inland, it was even harder to get a fair price. Although it was cheap and caught in large quantities, it seems that the taste was still good. There were many stories praising the taste of the gizzard shad, such as "The daughter-in-law who left home returns upon smelling grilled gizzard shad," "The head of the gizzard shad is full of sesame seeds," and "People seek it regardless of how much money they spend, hence the name 'money fish' (錢魚)." The opposite opinions about the price of gizzard shad probably stem from the transportation technology of the time. Because it was carefully stored (?) it was considered a precious fish in Seoul, but in the place of origin, it was often treated as cheap, not only for gizzard shad but for many other fish as well.

Anyway, whether the family member who ran away returned because of the delicious smell, whether it was a cutlassfish or a croaker, and whether it's even necessary to consider if the volume of the cutlassfish's head, about 54 liters, is reasonable or not, doesn't really matter. The story is that it tastes good and smells good. Such stories contributed to the rising popularity of the cutlassfish. Thanks to this storytelling, the praise from food-related newspapers and broadcast media, which increased significantly in the 2000s, all became focused on the cutlassfish. Perhaps eager to quickly get through the boring summer, everyone eagerly shared the news of the fall fish, the cutlassfish, which had already arrived in summer.

 

Anyway, the gizzard shad has risen in status from a worthless fish to a seasonal popular fish, even reaching the point of being farmed. These days, it can be transported alive and fresh, and since it is a species rarely seen inland, it is gaining even more popularity through word of mouth.

 

Yellowtail was more appreciated as a grilling fish than as sashimi. The flavor of the yellowtail, which is rich in oil during its peak season, is savory, and the unique smell that wafts up when grilling stimulates the appetite. Most oily fish are only available in winter, which adds to their rarity and value. The fat content increases dramatically from November to December. It accumulates nearly three times more fat per weight compared to other species. Nowadays, when the bones are not yet fully matured, small pieces can be grilled thoroughly on a grate and eaten whole, including the head, allowing one to enjoy the rich, savory taste most fully. The saying "a handful of sesame seeds on the head" seems to have originated from this time.

 

The small size is also welcomed when used for sushi. It is very cumbersome for sushi chefs to remove the fins of the Japanese pike eel one by one. Using young Japanese pike eels (shinko) for light pickling solves this problem, so at the start of summer, sushi restaurants all serve pike eel sushi. They are soaked in salt and vinegar for about an hour before use, similar to shimesaba (pickled mackerel). I'm not sure how Japanese daughters-in-law handle it, but in Japan, pike eel sushi and the 'shinko' (young pike eel) sushi are considered quite delicious menu items.

 

Compared to the past, more people in Korea now enjoy the seasonal delicacy of gizzard shad. Especially in areas around Masan Bay such as Sacheon and Changwon, where gizzard shad is particularly popular, and in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do, preparations are underway as households get ready to serve customers seeking gizzard shad. These regions also hold festivals dedicated to it. In Jeollanam-do, it is common to eat gizzard shad with its innards preserved separately in salted fermented fish called 'jeot' or 'jeot-eo'.

 

Samseong Fisheries in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province. The neatly arranged dark-colored sashimi on the right is sea bass, which is in season during the summer.

 

Samseong Fisheries in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province. The dark-colored sashimi neatly arranged on the right is sea bass, which is in season during the summer.

Eel fish also plays a role in the popularity of summer at the fish market. The reason many people seek out eel fish during the summer, when there are few other fresh fish options, is because eel fish is highly sought after. Eel fish is a species that mainly inhabits the southeastern seas of the Korean Peninsula. During the spawning season in autumn and winter, it stays in the deep sea, but in summer, when it migrates to the coastal waters, it is caught in large numbers. Because it is just before the spawning season, summer eel fish has a well-developed flesh that is not tough and is moist. It frequently appears in areas where freshwater and seawater meet.

 

Usually, the prime season for sea bass is from June to August, but they are also caught in large numbers in early September. The sea bass fry mainly caught in spring is called 'kalltagu,' which is eaten as sashimi salad, and is considered a spring delicacy along the southern coast. Because the flesh is easy to fall apart, it is usually not prepared as formal sashimi but is mixed with spring greens. The flesh is not chewy but tender, and because of its large size, it is often used as a thick-cut sashimi. Of course, it is also delicious when cooked, and can be enjoyed as steamed, grilled, or in fish soup. In aquaculture, it is prepared as steaks or tartare (beef tartare) to match its mild and tender characteristics.

 

The sea bass is especially a popular sashimi fish in Busan, often enjoyed together with mackerel (shingo). In other regions where people are not accustomed to the tender taste of sea bass, it is often served as part of a mixed sashimi platter with other summer fish. Once people get used to the flavor of sea bass, they tend to prefer it so much that they even request to have the whole fish next time.

 

It’s hard to talk about summer seasonal foods without mentioning the croaker. That’s because croaker is the most famous fish for the hottest days and summer remedies. It has been eaten for a long time. It has also been served on royal tables. The Sura Sangseo explains, “(Croaker) skin is peeled off, the flesh is sliced thinly, then coated with oil and placed on a plate, with seasoning added according to taste.” Koreans particularly enjoy both yellow croaker and croaker. Both have large bones in their heads and produce a loud, resonant sound, sharing many similarities. That’s why they are also called by the Chinese character name, Sheshouyu (石首魚). The high prices they fetch are also true for both the spotted croaker and croaker.

 

Mimiwon in Gwangju's croaker pancake.

Monkfish are caught abundantly in the West Sea. The waters near Imja Island in Shinan and Yeonpyeong Island are famous for their fishing grounds. They are most delicious just before the spawning season in autumn. Monkfish, which are much larger than cuttlefish, are excellent as a thickly sliced summer sashimi. Unlike oily fish such as tuna and mackerel, they have a mild flavor. While opinions about it vary, many people enjoy the unique tender and chewy texture of monkfish sashimi. Additionally, parts like the swim bladder, which is chewy like beef tripe and eaten with oil sauce, and the tender skin, each have different flavors, making eating them fun. As a result, since the 2000s, more people have been seeking out monkfish. These days, in the market's sashimi restaurants, they focus heavily on monkfish during the summer off-season until yellowtail appears.

 

Many people consider monkfish sashimi as a delicacy rather than raw fish, but in places close to the fishing grounds, such as Mokpo, there are some who are appalled. Nowadays, it is often served as a sashimi, pancake, and soup course, but originally, it was made from leftovers of monkfish sashimi or pan-fried as jeon. In fact, it is a bit of a waste to fry parts that can be eaten as fresh sashimi, but once you discover the unique tender taste of monkfish jeon, it doesn't matter what anyone says.

 

When it's not the season, I lightly dry it and then steam and eat it, and monkfish stew is also delicious. Monkfish soup is also good. When you put in the head and bones and simmer it thoroughly, it becomes cloudy and rich like beef bone soup, making it a popular health food for summer recovery. Sometimes, at inexpensive restaurants, they sell other types like stonefish or small monkfish and call them monkfish, but the taste is completely different. For the soup, you can tell immediately by the skin, and for the sashimi, by the color (monkfish has a light pink).

 

 

 

The gatekeeper of summer taste, the croaker, who has maintained his summer appetite throughout; the striped bass, who sharply criticizes the rumor that there are no summer sashimi; and the mackerel, the messenger announcing that autumn has already arrived at the doorstep amidst suffocating heat. These three summer fish are helping to preserve the memories of the hot summer of 2024 through their flavors.

.......

It's a long message, so I'll summarize it for you.

Introducing sashimi that you must eat before summer ends

It's information.

When tired and exhausted on a hot summer day, "Nong-eo" "Jeon-eo"

It says "Eat Min-eo."

You can only eat farmed or native fish by visiting a seafood market or the local area, but they are widely available at the seafood section in supermarkets.

Please enjoy eating a lot of mackerel that you can see.

Even the daughter-in-law who left home says it's so delicious that she's coming back.

I ate raw fish a week ago.

It's delicious. I'm not sure if it's because I like raw fish.