Sokcho market souvenir shopping for gajami sikhae: Hwangbuja Jeotgal

A Sokcho jeotgal (salted seafood) spot worth knowing — Hwangbuja Jeotgal at Sokcho Central Market :)

Whenever I travel to Sokcho, Sokcho Central Market is a must-stop. There's so much food inside and so many dishes Sokcho is famous for that I always lose track of time just browsing. This time, instead of only looking at food to eat on the spot, I went looking for a gift to bring home from Sokcho Central Market — and that's how I ended up at Hwangbuja Jeotgal.

Where is Hwangbuja Jeotgal in Sokcho Central Market?

Hwangbuja Jeotgal is a jeotgal shop inside Sokcho Central Market. For exact hours, last order times, and inquiries, it's best to check directly with the store. If you're driving, you can use the Sokcho Central Market parking lot.

• Address / Inside Sokcho Central Market
• Hours / Check with the store
• Last order / Check with the store
• Contact / Check with the store
• Parking / Sokcho Central Market parking lot

Pollock roe at Hwangbuja Jeotgal: regular, white or low-salt?

Hwangbuja Jeotgal had a wide range of myeongnanjeot (pollock roe), from the regular kind to baek-myeongnanjeot and low-salt baek-myeongnanjeot. There are several jeotgal shops around Sokcho Central Market, but I liked that Hwangbuja Jeotgal let me see so many varieties in one place. I'm generally a fan of jeotgal, so it was fun just browsing each type.

Myeongnanjeot is great spooned over warm rice, and it also pairs well with egg or seaweed, so it's a versatile side dish to bring home. It was nice that there was a low-salt baek-myeongnanjeot option too, for anyone looking for that.

Squid sikhae, myeongtaehoe and gajami sikhae at Hwangbuja Jeotgal

Beyond myeongnanjeot, Hwangbuja Jeotgal also had the jeotgal varieties that people often look for in Sokcho. Squid jeotgal has that chewy squid texture with a spicy, salty savoriness that makes it great over rice.

Personally, if you're in Sokcho, squid sikhae and myeongtaehoe are hard to skip. Myeongtaehoe had that sweet-sour, spicy seasoning that really wakes up your appetite. It's good as a rice side dish but also works well as a drinking snack, so it seemed like something you could use in a lot of ways once you get it home. If you like myeongtaehoe-muchim (seasoned pollock hoe), it's worth trying at least once during a Sokcho trip.

There was also gajami sikhae (fermented flounder). It has the clean flavor of fish plus the distinctive savoriness of fermented sikhae, so anyone who already likes sikhae would find it worth a look. There were also mixed jeotgal like seed jeotgal, blending several ingredients — good to pick from depending on your taste when you want variety in your side dishes.

Why jeotgal makes an easy Sokcho Central Market souvenir

Jeotgal isn't bulky and can be eaten right away once you get home, which makes it a practical gift from Sokcho Central Market. Traveling around Sokcho, you naturally start thinking about gifts for family or friends.

There's a lot to choose from depending on the recipient's taste — familiar options like myeongnanjeot and baek-myeongnanjeot, or Sokcho favorites like squid jeotgal, squid sikhae, myeongtaehoe, and gajami sikhae. Another plus is being able to enjoy the food you liked during your Sokcho trip again at home. After the trip, just pulling out one jar of jeotgal at mealtime brought back the taste of Sokcho for me.

If you're looking for both food and gifts at Sokcho Central Market, it's worth checking out the jeotgal too. If you're like me and usually focus only on food to eat on the spot when visiting Sokcho, this time try packing some side dishes to take home as well.

If you're looking for a Sokcho Central Market jeotgal shop, stop by Hwangbuja Jeotgal, where you can browse everything from myeongnanjeot, baek-myeongnanjeot, and low-salt baek-myeongnanjeot to squid jeotgal, squid sikhae, myeongtaehoe, gajami sikhae, and seed jeotgal :) If you want to add a jeotgal shop to your Sokcho Central Market list, Hwangbuja Jeotgal is worth checking out too.