Sokcho Market jeotgal price tags: squid 500g \u20a912,000, Hwangbuja

Whenever I plan a trip to Sokcho, there's one must-do stop I never skip: Sokcho Jungang Market, packed with food and lively sights. There's plenty of famous, delicious street food there — dak-gangjeong (sweet crispy chicken),씨앗호떡 seed hotteok, crunchy fried snacks — but there's one thing I always make sure to load my hands with every time I visit. Jeotgal (salted seafood), the ultimate rice thief that fills out any table. On this trip I went back to Hwangbuja Jeotgal (황부자젓갈), which I'd stumbled into buying once before and which ended up being a total star side dish at home.

How to find Hwangbuja Jeotgal in Sokcho Jungang Market, and where to park

Hwangbuja Jeotgal sits just a short walk into the jeotgal alley inside Sokcho Jungang Market, under a yellow sign. The market is so huge and crowded that it's easy to get lost, but Hwangbuja Jeotgal's sign is bright enough to spot from a distance, so even first-timers should find it easily.

Parking is just as convenient — there's a large public lot right across from the market, and once you cross the crosswalk you're straight at the market entrance, which makes hauling heavy bags much easier.

Don't forget to ask the owner for a parking discount coupon when you buy something.

How clean were the jeotgal tubs and the display?

Once you reach the storefront, you'll see a really wide variety of jeotgal tubs neatly displayed. Hygiene and cleanliness are personally what I care about most when buying food at a market, and Hwangbuja Jeotgal's counter was spotless — not a single sauce stain or sticky spot around the tubs.

The tubs were carefully covered with lids or plastic to keep dust out, and it was obvious at a glance that the staff cared a lot about cleanliness, which made it easy to shop with peace of mind. Seeing the glossy, deep red seasoned jeotgal made my mouth water instantly, even though I'd already eaten.

Squid jeotgal, 500g for 12,000 won: choosing by the price tag

Another reason I especially love Hwangbuja Jeotgal is its clear, honest pricing system. Every tub has a big, bold price tag showing cost by 1kg and 500g.

(At the time of my visit, squid jeotgal was ₩12,000 for 500g, and octopus jeotgal was around ₩15,000 — though these can shift a bit depending on market conditions and raw ingredient prices, so take it as a rough guide.) Not having to ask the owner the price of everything, and being able to compare freely against my budget and fridge space, was genuinely satisfying.

I scraped my last batch of squid jeotgal clean to the bottom of the container, so this time it went straight into my basket without a second thought. To enjoy a bit more variety in texture, I also picked up some plump, crunchy octopus jeotgal.

When you order, the owner weighs it out on the scale right there, and she was generous, piling in noticeably more than the exact weight — that warm, market-style generosity really came through. To make sure nothing leaked or smelled on the long ride home, she sealed the container openings tightly with several layers of plastic wrap. Thanks to that, I got everything home safely without a hint of odor.

How the squid and octopus jeotgal tasted at a family dinner table

I brought the squid jeotgal and octopus jeotgal from Hwangbuja Jeotgal straight to my sibling's house and we ate together. The squid jeotgal kept its signature chewy texture, and the seasoning wasn't too salty or sharp, with a deep, subtle umami running through it — just spooned over plain rice, it disappeared fast.

The octopus jeotgal was excellent too — the octopus pieces were thick and plump, bursting with texture as you chewed. Piled generously over freshly cooked warm rice with a drop of sesame oil and mixed together, even my picky-eating sibling polished off a whole bowl in no time.

When you have no appetite, a boiled egg, rice soaked in cold water, or savory nurungji (scorched rice tea) with a spoonful of jeotgal on top needs no other side dish at all. Seeing my sibling eat so well made hauling everything home totally worth it.

How to portion and freeze jeotgal at home

Here's a small storage tip of my own. Because the shop packs the jeotgal in generously, you get quite a lot at once, and it can be hard to finish it all right away.

In that case, I highly recommend scooping out only what you'll eat right away into a side-dish container for the fridge, and portioning the rest into small containers or zip bags by single-serving amounts to freeze immediately.

Because jeotgal already has salt in it, it won't freeze into a rock-hard block even after a long time in the freezer. Just set it out at room temperature for 10–20 minutes before mealtime, and it'll taste fresh and chewy again, just like when you first bought it from the market. For anyone living alone or who tends to keep side dishes around for a while, this is a real lifesaver.

Next time I visit Sokcho, I'm planning to stock up on other menu items too — salty changnanjeot (pollock intestine jeotgal), great mixed into warm rice, or tangy-sweet myeongtae-hoe-muchim (seasoned raw pollock), a perfect topping for naengmyeon or noodles. If you're looking for a hearty, delicious rice side dish to bring your appetite back, don't forget to stop by Hwangbuja Jeotgal next time you're at Sokcho Jungang Market.