Jeotgal (Salted Shrimp & Fish Sauce)
μ κ°jeot-gal
Salted, fermented seafood β Korea's umami seasoning
Jeotgal is seafood preserved in salt and left to ferment β tiny shrimp, anchovies, oysters, pollock roe, squid and more. Some are eaten as side dishes with rice, but salted shrimp and fish sauce are workhorse seasonings, above all in kimchi.
- Korean name
- μ κ° (jeot-gal)
- What it is
- Salted, fermented seafood β Korea's umami seasoning
- Storage
- Refrigerate after opening.
- Substitute
- Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce replaces aekjeot.
- Recipes
- Used in 40 recipes on coo K food
Saeujeot (salted shrimp)
These tiny pink shrimp are packed in salt and fermented; the most prized batches are made in June (yukjeot). Saeujeot seasons kimchi, steamed egg (gyeran-jjim), stir-fried zucchini, pork soups and clear soups, and it is the traditional dip for boiled pork (bossam). Chop it finely so its flavor spreads evenly.
Korean fish sauces (aekjeot)
Myeolchi-aekjeot (anchovy) and kkanari-aekjeot (sand lance) are the clear liquids drained from fish fermented for a year or more. They go into kimchi paste and some soups and namul. They are similar to Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, though Korean versions tend to be stronger and less sweet.
Using small amounts
Jeotgal is intensely salty, but it also carries a lot of savory glutamates, so a small spoonful can replace a larger amount of plain salt while adding depth. In the low-sodium recipes in this collection, ground dried shrimp or fish sauce often stands in for salt for exactly this reason.
π§ How to store it
Refrigerate after opening. Salted shrimp can also be kept in the freezer; its salt content keeps it from freezing solid, so you can scoop it straight out.
π Substitutes
Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce replaces aekjeot. For salted shrimp, use a little fish sauce plus a pinch of salt. For a vegetarian version, use soy sauce with a pinch of kelp powder.
π Where to buy
Look for it at Korean or pan-Asian grocery stores such as H Mart, or order it online β it keeps well, so it is easy to stock up.
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