Gejang

Korean Food

GEJANG

Gejang is one of the typical Korean dishes that are well known. Gejang are foods with raw seafood types are usually raw crab with a special sauce. Gejang usually eaten in the spring, because many crabs sold in the market in spring and according to Korean traditional medicine, crab has a cold nature that could cool one's body temperature, so Gejang is believed to be good for driving away the spring fever. Gejang well liked by adults will even by children. Many Koreans call Gejang is a "Meal Thief" or "Rice Killer" or "Rice Robber", a dish so delicious that the accompanying bowl of rice is gone in no time. So in basically, this dish makes us eat a lot of rice because it’s just too delicious. Some areas in South Korea such as Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Jeju Island are famous for their own characteristic gejang.

Gejang or Gejeot is a variety of jeotgal, salted fermented seafood in Korean cuisine, which is made by marinating fresh raw crabs either in ganjang (soy sauce) or in a sauce based on chili pepper powder. The term consists of the two words Ge meaning A Crab, and Jang which means Condiment in Korean. Although Gejang originally referred only to crabs marinated in soy sauce, it has begun to be called "Ganjang Gejang" these days to differentiate it from "Yangnyeom Gejang". The latter is relatively a new dish that emerged since the restaurant business began to thrive in South Korea. Yangnyeom literally means Seasoning or Seasoned in Korean but refers to the spicy sauce made with chili pepper powder.

To make Gejang, we needs crab's baby and don't need to be cooked before consumption. Simply, the fresh raw crabs are first thoroughly cleaned using a brush while submerged in a bowl of water, and are then rinsed to remove the moisture. Once cleaned, crabs put in earthenware crock or the Korean language "Hangari". Then, left for six hours. To make the sauce, a mixture of sesame oil, sugar, finely sliced scallions, minced garlic, ginger, and finely shredded fresh red chili pepper. After six hours, the crabs are removed from Hangari and poured into the bowl. After that, pour the sauce that was prepared. An hour later, the ganjang is removed from the bowl and reheated until boiling. It is again poured over the crabs, and the procedure is repeated for a third and fourth time. The dish can be eaten once the sauce is chilled. But in addition can be dipped in soy sauce, crab can also be mixed with spicy red batter and flavored with a variety of sauces and eaten raw. Interestingly, because the baby crabs are eaten, the shells are softer than adult crabs can be chewed easily. Gejang is very popular not only in Korea. Crab's baby as the main ingredient is also easily found in any fish market in the country. Gejang is food that is worth a try when in Korea, especially for people who like seafood.