Saengseon hwe[Sliced Raw Fish]

As a peninsula and seafaring nation, Koreas have historically eaten many fish hwe dishes, though perhaps not as much as the Japanese. Ancient cookbooks contain records of raw seafood dishes such as Ungeo (Korean grenadier anchovy), Mineo (croaker), sea cucumber, clam, waehap (common orient clam) and oyster. It is said that in the summer when food tends to spoil more easily, Hwe was eaten off a bed of ice. Freshly Caught Fish Hwe Nowadays Hwe is dipped in a spicy vinegared Gochujang paste, but before the 17th century, when chili peppers were yet to be introduced, Hwe was dipped in mustard and vinegar soy sauce. There are two types of Saengseon-hwe based on the color of the fish flesh: red and white. White-flesh fish such as Neopchi (Olive flounder), Ureok (rockfish), Dom (sea bream) or Nongeo (sea bass) are considered high-quality ingredients for Hwe because, being firmer in texture than red-flesh fish such as Bangeo (yellowtail), tuna or mackerel, they provide a wonderful chewing experience. Most Japanese sashimi is made from aged raw fish: raw fish is usually left to age for a certain time before it is consumed. In comparison, most Koreans prefer the chewy texture of freshly caught fish. Mak-hwe, Sekkosi and Gwamegi Mak-hwe is a platter of roughly cut chunks of raw fish eaten with a Makjang (fast-fermented soybean paste) dip or served on a bed of shredded vegetables to be mixed with Makjang. Those who lived by the sea during their childhood talk about still finding Mak-hwe more appetizing than the uniform Saengseon-hwe slices: they cannot forget the fresh taste of fish sliced immediately after being caught from the sea. While a horrifying sight to some foreigners, eating wriggling bits of Sannakji-hwe (live common octopus cut and served immediately) is an all-time favorite treat in Korea. An even more strange sight is that of someone eating Sebalnakji-hwe - which is only for the adventurous gourmet. The Sebalnakji (baby octopus with thin tentacles) is held by the head, the tentacles straightened out with the fingers, and devoured whole. Another hwe cherished by Koreans is Sekkoshi, or slices of small fishes with the bone in. Though no longer available now, traditionally Busan locals enjoyed whale meat Hwe and Pohang people enjoyed Gwamegi (freeze-dried Pacific herring) as drink accompaniments. Due to a shortage of herring, the original ingredient for Gwamegi, nowadays mackerel pike is often used in its stead. Mackerel pike is dried by sea breeze, and then the semi-stiffened flesh is cut, topped with thinly sliced scallion and sea mustard, and served with a Gochujang dipping sauce.

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