Sokcho salted seafood shop for myeongran sotbap: Hwangbuja Jeotgal

Side dishes picked up at Hwangbuja Jeotgal in Sokcho Central Market

If you come to Sokcho, Sokcho Central Market is an unmissable stop, right!

As we looked around Sokcho Central Market, we bought this and that to eat and searched for side dishes to take home. That is how we found Hwangbuja Jeotgal. I am such a huge fan of jeotgal (salted fermented seafood), haha. I especially truly love myeongran jeot (pollock roe) and octopus jeotgal ❤️

Hours: Daily 08:30–20:30

There are so many jeotgal shops and the market is large, so it could be hard to find, but if you think of it as being beside the plaza, it is not too difficult.

What kinds of jeotgal can you choose?

When I went into Hwangbuja Jeotgal, there were far more kinds of jeotgal than I expected. From pollock roe to octopus jeotgal, there was such a variety that it was fun to browse them one by one. Prices vary by weight, and I have listed the types below, so I think it would be handy to decide what kind of jeotgal you want before buying!!!

• Low-salt white pollock roe · white pollock roe · imperfect white pollock roe (misshapen pieces) · Grade 1 seasoned pollock roe · seasoned small pollock roe · imperfect seasoned pollock roe (misshapen pieces)
• Seasoned pollock sashimi · fermented flatfish · cod innards jeot · fermented squid · salted squid · salted scallop · washed baby shrimp jeot
• Octopus jeotgal · chopped octopus jeotgal · salted hairtail innards · salted sea squirt · salted cuttlefish · salted oyster · salted clam · salted shrimp

Best of all, the owner was incredibly kind and cheerful! I asked questions while choosing jeotgal, and they explained everything so well, so even a first-time visitor can choose without feeling pressured.

Imperfect products, low-salt white pollock roe, and octopus jeotgal

As I chose my jeotgal, I saw that imperfect products were sold a little more cheaply. They may not look as pretty or be quite as marketable, but there is absolutely no issue with eating them, so I thought they would be a good option for eating at home. After much deliberation, I bought low-salt white pollock roe and octopus jeotgal.

Making myeongran sotbap with low-salt white pollock roe

I have especially been making myeongran sotbap (rice cooked in a pot with pollock roe) often lately! Soak the rice, add the pollock roe, and make pot rice—then you have such a delicious meal without needing any other side dishes. When I cannot be bothered, I am always team pot rice :) If you like pollock roe, you absolutely have to try myeongran sotbap at least once. 👍

I made it as soon as I got home, haha. I will post my 30-minute recipe for this soon!!! Part of the fun of a Sokcho trip is eating delicious things there, but I think there is also joy in coming home and putting together a meal with the foods you bought on your trip.

Freeze jeotgal in one-meal portions

But when the owner saw me buying jeotgal, they even shared the great tip of dividing it into portions you can eat at one time and freezing it. Hearing that, haha, I thought, Oh, I can buy a lot after all—and ended up bringing home plenty 🤣 Jeotgal is not something you eat a lot of at once, but freezing it in portions like this makes it more convenient because you can take out one whenever you need it.

Sokcho Central Market has so much delicious food, but if you are looking for side dishes or jeotgal to take home while traveling, do stop by Hwangbuja Jeotgal too. If you love myeongran jeot and octopus jeotgal like I do, it is hard to simply walk past, haha. Thanks to the jeotgal I bought this time, I will not have to worry about rice side dishes for a while, haha. I am going to keep it for a long time and yum yum yum my way through it, haha. The next time I visit Sokcho Central Market, I think I will look for pollock roe and octopus jeotgal first again ❤️