Jeju Island's Edible Specialties: Black Pork, Abalone, Hairtail Fish

Jeju Island: where windswept cliffs of black lava give way to sparkling cerulean water, trees laden with perfectly tangerine tangerines provide cover to winding roads, and dewy mountain air dances with the salty sea breeze. A place that sounds mythical, like a make-believe land straight out of a storybook, yet is only a short flight away from Seoul.

Two million years ago, a volcano rose from the sea and formed Jeju Island; last spring, I found it rising again (with impeccable Korean manners) to greet each one of my senses. In March, I did a bit of homework for my impending trip to Seoul and watched the Netflix show When Live Gives You Tangerines. I consider it a twist of fate that I chanced upon this show, because watching it made me immediately add Jeju Island to my South Korea itinerary. Two episodes in, I was ready to book my flights! There was something bewitching about Jeju, with its volcanic environment and landscapes mimicking impressionist paintings, that called on me with magnetic force. 

Exploring Jeju felt a bit like walking into an old fairytale and discovering a well-guarded secret, all at once. We hiked Ore trails along the coastline, explored parasitic volcanos called oreums, took in the sight of fields upon fields blanketed with thick yellow canola flowers, and marvelled at the effervescent, shape-shifting island: calm one moment, wild the next. Along the way, we sampled many a local treat, all of which firmly reconfirmed what we knew on our very first hour in Jeju: we simply had to come back and spend more time here. 

In our limited 3-day itinerary, we tried to fit in as many local delicacies as we could, from the famed black pork to the fabled abalone. We sampled fresh tangerines, tasted simmering hot gulfweed soup, and ate (too many!) different varieties of bread. Here are my top three edible delicacies to taste while in Jeju.

First up: black pork, or heuk-dwaeji (spoiler alert: it’s absolutely worth the hype!). 

Native to the island and an intrinsic part of Jeju’s culinary culture, the Jeju Black pig is traditionally charcoal-grilled, often with the skin on, with minimal seasoning (just sea salt or a brush of sesame oil). Once grilled, it is typically paired with myeolchi-jeot: fermented salted anchovies. With thicker cuts and denser fat, black pork is firmer and juicier than regular pork, and every bite is a burst of delicately smoky, salted flavour. With crispy, crackling edges and fat that melts evenly, Jeju’s black pork tasted like the cleanest pork I’d ever eaten. 

Did I return for seconds? No, because I went back for thirds. 

Am I planning to go back to Jeju just to eat black pork again? Yes. 

Next: abalone porridge. This is what I was most excited to eat. 

Abalone porridge, or jeonbok-juk, is Jeju Island’s comfort food. The treasured abalone, a sea snail, also has a historic backstory particular to the island. For generations, it was considered the most prized catch in Jeju’s waters — extremely difficult and dangerous to harvest, only the most experienced divers could pry abalone free from the rocks it clings to on the ocean floor. Enter the haenyeo, Jeju’s iconic women divers, who traditionally free-dived into the water without any apparatus to harvest shellfish, sea snails, octopus, and other marine finds. The centuries-old custom of training women to dive into the deep sea was driven by economic necessity, but over generations became a matrilineal tradition, with expertise and techniques being passed down to daughters and nieces by mothers, grandmothers, and aunts. 

With slices of the prized sea snail inside it, abalone porridge is wholesome, nourishing, and…surprisingly devoid of much other flavour. Abalone liver adds umami to the creamy, silken rice base, while seasoning is restricted to the bare minimum amount of salt. Subtle, nutrient-rich, and restorative, abalone porridge was by far the most understated, underrated dish we tried in Jeju. 

Braised hairtail fish stew, or galchi jorim, was the next delicacy we tasted, and this one checked every flavour box.

Savoury, spicy, tangy, umami, and just a tad bit sweet, galchi jorim is a slow-simmered stew built on Korean radish, aromatics, spices, and (the star!) hairtail fish. A long, silver, ribbon-like fish that’s notoriously difficult to keep fresh, hairtail fish is nestled atop a delectably rich broth and gently braised until it completely absorbs the flavours around it. The result: a classic Jeju dish that I sometimes

daydream about. 

For an island with fewer than 700,00 inhabitants, Jeju boasts a spectacular cuisine that is incredibly distinct in taste, texture, and tradition from mainland cuisine. I can’t wait to revisit, but in the meanwhile, I took enough photos to get me through a few seasons. If there’s proof that magic exists, Jeju Island is it.