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What to eat in South Korea? Top 5 Korean Saltwater Fish Dishes

Last update: Tue Apr 15 2025
Top 5 Korean Saltwater Fish Dishes
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01
Chamchi gimbap
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This gimbap (Korean rice roll) is made with canned tuna. Apart from rice and fish, the fillings may include other ingredients that are typically used in gimbap such as fresh or pickled vegetables, eggs, or fish cakes, while the tuna is often mashed and then combined with mayonnaise, mustard, and spices.


The roll is traditionally wrapped in toasted seaweed, and it is served sliced into small, bite-size pieces.

02
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Godeungeo gui is a traditional fish dish originating from South Korea. The dish is made with a combination of mackerel (skin-on, head and tail removed), vegetable oil, salt, and lemon wedges. The fish is seasoned with salt on both sides, rinsed, dried, and then pan-fried, grilled over an open flame, or placed under a broiler.


The mackerel is grilled, broiled, or fried on both sides until the skin becomes slightly crispy. Before serving, the fish is sprinkled with lemon juice and the dish is ready to be enjoyed. If desired, add a bit of grated ginger over the top of the mackerel as well.

03

Saltwater Fish Dish

CHANGWON, South Korea
3.5
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This spicy South Korean dish is traditionally prepared with monkfish or angler. The traditional Masan-style version is made by drying the fish and then steaming it with gochugaru chili flakes and doenjang soybean paste. Other versions available throughout the country are usually braised with the spicy sauce, and both types are traditionally accompanied by bean sprouts, minari (water dropwort), sea squirt (mideodeok), or shrimps.


It is believed that the dish was created sometime in the 1940s at a Masan fish market in Changwon. Since monkfish and angler have somewhat of an ugly appearance, the species were largely ignored by the fishmongers and the general public. Nowadays, the fish is considered a delicacy because of its firm but tender flesh, and it usually comes with a high price tag. 
04

Saltwater Fish Dish

MOKPO, South Korea
2.7
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Hailing from the province of Jeolla, hongeo or hongeo-hoe is a South Korean specialty that consists of skate that gets fermented in its urine. This cartilaginous fish is known to eliminate urine through its skin, thus allowing for natural fermentation to take place in the flesh and helping to preserve it.


The process lends the fish its signature aromas that bring to mind the strong and pungent odors of ammonia and dirty public toilets. As this unpleasant odor follows diners long after they’ve had their share of hongeo, restaurants which specialize in this delicacy often offer their customers services such as keeping their jackets in sealed bags and spraying them with deodorant upon leaving. 
05
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Hongeojjim is a traditional fish dish originating from South Korea. Although there are many variations, the dish is usually made with a combination of skate fish wings, eggs, sesame oil, sake, salt, pepper, scallions, and gochugaru chili flakes.


The skate wings are seasoned with salt and pepper on both sides and steamed for a few minutes. The sake and sesame oil are poured over the fish and it's steamed again until fully cooked and opaque. Meanwhile, the eggs are whisked and cooked into a thin omelet that's sliced into strips and used as a garnish along with thinly sliced scallions and gochugaru, and the dish is then ready to be enjoyed.

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Korean Saltwater Fish Dishes