Bugeo-gui

Dried pollack marinated in soy, sesame, and chili before being grilled until fragrant and chewy.

Bugeo-gui is a deeply aromatic banchan built around bugeo — dried yellow corvina or pollack that has been dried in winter mountain air until it transforms from a fresh fish into a concentrated, fibrous ingredient with an intensely savory, almost smoky character. The dried fish is soaked briefly to rehydrate slightly, then marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, gochugaru, garlic, and a touch of sugar before being grilled or pan-fried until the exterior is golden and fragrant and the flesh tears into satisfying, chewy strips. The drying process concentrates the fish's umami dramatically, so bugeo-gui delivers enormous flavor from a small serving. It is a classic accompaniment to plain rice porridge (juk) and is especially popular as a hangover-cure banchan, with the protein and minerals of the dried fish said in Korean folk medicine to clear the head and restore energy. The traditional production of bugeo in Hwangtae-deokjang, the mountain air-drying farms of Gangwon Province, is considered a form of intangible cultural heritage.