Jeotgal

Jeotgal or jeot is a salted fermented food in Korean cuisine. It is made with various seafood, such as shrimp, oyster, shellfish, fish, and fish roe and intestine.

Jeotgal is mainly used as a condiment in pickling kimchi and as a dipping sauce accompanied with jokbal and soondae. Sometimes jeotgal, commonly saewoo jeot is added into Korean style stews and soups such as guk, tang, jjigae to enhance flavors instead of salt or ganjang.

The types of jeotgal are varied depending on main ingredients, regions, and preferences of person and family. In the past times, due to the limited transportation, the regions near seas naturally have more abundant types of jeot compared to the uncountry.

The origin of fermentation
Jeotgal originated from the India, Vietnam, Tailand. In these regions under the high climate, it was hard to preserve food, so surplus food from hunting, gathering, fishing were easily spoiled and then deposed. However some people found out that the seemingly blown food was naturally fermented and became a new type of food that they never experienced. After People went through many trial an error, people in farming regions could make various fermented food and condiments based on soy bean. In other hand, people near coasts could produce a fermented food made with seafood.

The origin of Jeotgal
Tracing back to remote antiquity, Yi-ah, the old Chinese book written in BC 3-5th century has a record on Ji, the origin of Jeotgal. Ji indicates jeotgal, food made with fish and is the oldest documents in the historical records.

Types of Jeot

 * Saewoo jeot (새우젓) - jeot made with small shrimp
 * O jeot (오젓) - saewoo jeot fermented for 5 months
 * Yuk jeot (육젓) - saewoo jeot fermented for 6 months.


 * Hwangsaegi jeot (황새기젓)- jeot made with fish
 * Myeolchi jeot (멸치젓)- jeot made with anchovies
 * Jogae jeot (조개젓)- jeot made with shellfish
 * Gul jeot (굴젓) - jeot made with oyster
 * Toha jeot (토하젓) - jeot made with small fresh water shrimp, which is rare and local specialty of Jeolla province.
 * Eorigul jeot (어리굴젓)-
 * Myeongran jeot (명란젓)- jeot made with roe of pollock
 * Changran jeot (창란젓) - jeot made with intestine of pollock
 * Ojingeo jeot (오징어젓) - Jeot made with squid
 * Ggolddugi jeot (꼴뚜기젓) -jeot made with small squid