Sokcho market squid jeotgal for Chungmu gimbap at home: Hwangbuja

Why Sokcho's squid jeotgal led me to Hwangbuja Jeotgal at Sokcho Central Market

The last stop on my Sokcho trip was Hwangbuja Jeotgal, the place everyone was talking about as the jeotgal (salted seafood) spot at Sokcho Central Market. I didn't actually plan on buying jeotgal at first, haha~

Hi everyone! Mango is a beast~ Whenever I visit Sokcho, I have so much fun looking at the sea, but I absolutely cannot skip loading both hands with delicious side dishes for the trip home!!

But every single restaurant in Sokcho served this incredible squid jeotgal, plus seed jeotgal and gajami sikhye (fermented flatfish) as basic side dishes, and I just kept shoveling down rice endlessly!! I wanted to keep eating this rice-thief of a dish at home too, so I ran straight to Hwangbuja Jeotgal!!

Parking at Sokcho Central Market and what Hwangbuja Jeotgal sells

I parked in the market parking lot across the street, and since I spent over ₩15,000, they even gave me a parking pass — totally touched!!

Standing in front of the stall, my eyes went wide: seasoned pollock roe, low-salt white pollock roe, octopus jeotgal, scallop jeotgal, sea cucumber intestine jeotgal, pollock sashimi salad, salted fermented squid, salted oyster — all sorts of jeotgal spread out in rows~

How does Hwangbuja Jeotgal pack the squid jeotgal?

What I picked at Hwangbuja Jeotgal was my all-time favorite rice side dish, squid jeotgal. The owner packed the tub so full it looked like it might overflow — just looking at it made me feel full~

I was a little worried the smell might leak out in the car on the way home, but! They sealed the container super carefully and tucked in an ice pack, so by the time I opened the box at home, not a whiff of smell had escaped in the car~ They also do nationwide delivery, so it's great to just order by phone later and eat comfortably at home~

Can you taste the jeotgal before buying?

Honestly, with jeotgal it's hard to tell just by looking how salty it is or whether the seasoning suits your taste~ At Hwangbuja Jeotgal, the staff actively encourage you to try a bit of each one, so you can pick exactly what matches your palate~

They said they carefully select everything from the raw ingredients to the salt and chili powder, and true to that, the seasoning wasn't salty at all — just savory and rich, a real delicacy~

The price tags are clearly fixed, and they pack the tub generously, pressing it down firmly — that overflowing warmth is just so nice~

Eating Sokcho squid jeotgal as Chungmu gimbap at home

As soon as I got home, I excitedly opened the squid jeotgal container, and the squid meat was so plump and chewy, the texture was pure art!! No fishy taste at all, just a springy bite in the mouth that made me want to cook with it right away~

So the moment I got home, I made it Tongyeong-style gimbap and it was absolutely delicious!! I rolled the rice — mixed with a bit of sesame oil and sesame salt — tightly in seaweed, and served it alongside a generous portion of squid jeotgal~

Piling the spicy-sweet-salty squid jeotgal on top of plain, savory rice and taking a bite was so much more delicious than the Tongyeong gimbap you buy outside!!

How to store leftover jeotgal

To keep the rest for a long time, I portioned it into zipper bags and gently froze it~ Before eating, I move it to the fridge to thaw slowly, and the springiness and spiciness come right back just like when I first bought it — I look forward to every meal now!!

Thanks to this delicious squid jeotgal, I ended today with a satisfying, happy meal~