Gochang Freshwater Eel

When?

Freshwater eel is most active in feeding when the river temperature is around 28 degrees Celsius, making its peak season in August and September.

If you visit Gochang, Jeonbuk-do, in September, you can enjoy freshwater eel along with the beautiful flower scenery of the red spider lilies at Seonunsa Temple.

Where?

Gochang, Jeonbuk-do, is Korea's top producer of freshwater eel.

Restaurants serving freshwater eel dishes are clustered around Seonunsa Temple, an old temple in Gochang (around Seonunsa-ro, Asan-myeon, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk-do).

Where to Enjoy It

Gochang is one of the leading producers of freshwater eels in Korea, and the area near Seonunsa Temple is where many freshwater eel farms and restaurants can be found.

This is because Seonunsa Temple, the county's most famous tourist site, is located at the mouth of the stream that young freshwater eel comes back to.

Generally, freshwater eel can be ordered per kilogram in restaurants. It depends on the size of the eel in question, but a kilogram of freshwater eel corresponds to 2 or 3 freshwater eels.

In some cases, freshwater eel farms operate their own restaurants and offer freshwater eel at more affordable prices.

Some restaurants, among those that serve grilled freshwater eel, also offer mudflat eel. Mudflat eels are farmed in fenced-off areas in tidal flat areas.

Because they are farmed in an environment closest to nature, mudflat eels are more active than freshwater eels grown on farms, translating to a more savory flavor and chewier texture.

Grilled Until Golden

Freshwater eels are high in fat, protein, and Vitamin A, making them a popular food renowned for their nutrition in Korea. Koreans prepare freshwater eels in different ways.

The most popular option is jangeogui (grilled eel). Eel prepared for grilling is placed on a grill over charcoal fire, seasoned with salt to make jangeo sogeumgui or with gochujang (red chili paste) to make jangeo yangnyeomgui.

Some restaurants grill the eel in the kitchen to maintain a consistent flavor, but in most cases, guests are responsible for grilling their own eel.

You have to flip the freshwater eels multiple times when grilling them because they are fatty, and their skin burns quite easily.

You also need to be careful when seasoning the eel, whether with salt or gochujang. When salt-grilling, you should salt the eel before it goes on the grill, while a gochujang-based sauce should be basted on the eel as it grills, taking care not to burn the sauce.

Once grilled, cut the eel into bite-sized pieces, transfer them to the edge of the grill, and start enjoying them one by one.

Jangeogui is also great with vegetable wraps. Place a piece of jangeogui, ginger, onion, garlic, and others on a leaf of lettuce or perilla, wrap it, and pop it into your mouth.

Vegetables help mitigate the fatty flavor of eels. Ginger, in particular, offers a spicy flavor to counterbalance the fishy flavor of eels and help their digestion.