The 8 Most Polarizing Korean Foods

These Are The 8 Most Polarizing Korean Foods

Do you have any you’ve tried, want to try, or can’t eat? If you have a similar dish in your city, we’d love to hear about it!

1. Hongeo (A dish of skate)

: The hongeo, which smells strongly of ammonia after about a month of incubation in its own urine, is most frequently presented on a platter of sashimi in a presentation known as samhap, which translates as “harmonious trinity.”

2. Dakbal (Chicken feet)

: People who like spicy tend to like the Dakbal especially. It is usually divided into boneless and boned chicken feet, and chicken feet with broth or no broth. It has the chewy texture.

3. Beondegi (Pupa)

: The silkworm moth creates a cocoon to metamorphose, and when it reaches the pupal stage, it boils the cocoon, unravels the cocoon with thread, and separates it. When the threads are pulled out, only the boiled pupa are left, and the pupa is the food that is made by using it instead of throwing it away. It is said that Korea, Japan, and China are the countries that eat pupae.

4. Pork Rind

: This is the skin of the pork. It has a soft, chewy, sticky texture and savory flavor, and many people enjoy it with soju because it is cheap and tasty. However, there are also many people who don’t like it because it can have a lot of odor.

5. Gwamegi (Pacific saury)

: Gwamegi is a winter-prepared, half-dried Pacific herring or saury from Korea. It is primarily consumed in the North Gyeongsang Province region, specifically in Yeongdeok, Uljin, and Pohang, where a sizable portion of the fish is collected. The most well-known is in Pohang’s Guryongpo Harbor.

6. San-nakji (Live octopus)

: Live octopus tastes great when dipped in savory sesame oil, with its chewy, wriggly texture and savory flavor. However, some people don’t like it because of the way the chopped octopus squirms and the way its suckers stick to the tongue when you put it in your mouth.

7. Cheonggukjang

: Cheonggukjang is a traditional Korean food made by fermenting soybeans. It has the advantage of being much more digestible than regular beans. However, unlike other fermented foods, some people are put off by its odor, which is similar to foot odor.

8. Makchang

: Pork makchang is the lower rectal portion of the large intestine of a pig, each of which refers to a different organ. As it’s very fatty and chewy, it will fill you up quickly even with a small portion. However, some people dislike it as it is too oily.

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