‘Jokbal’(seasoned pig’s feet), Korea’s typical relish with drinks

Gongdeok-dong ‘jokbal alley’ near Gongdeok station of Korail airport railroad is popular with foreign tourists

    

All countries of the world have their own traditional food. So tourists abroad dare look for some places where they can have tastes of each country’s traditional foods. Even though this food isn't to their taste, they can have the unique experience with it.

 

There is ‘Jokbal’ in Korea. It’s one of the korean’s popular relish with drinks. ‘Jokbal’ is a dish seasoned with all sorts of spices and condiments to pig’s feet. Jokbal’s taste depends on the sauce putting on when pig’s feet is boiled. Jokbal’s sauce recipe: Sugar, soy sauce and starch syrup are added to water, on which soju (Korean distilled spirits) and jeongjong(refined rice wine) are put. And, for making sauce, add again some seasonings like garlic, green onion, onion, pepper, pear, carrot, cinnamon and so on to this seasoned water. Put the Pig’s feet in this sauce. Boil one and a half hours and then ‘Jokbal’ is made. It is called ‘herbal jokbal’ owing to adding herbal to the sauce and ‘ohyang jokbal’ is due to adding five spices(ohyang). Spicy jokbal adding hot chili peppers is very popular these days.

 

There is the alley where salaried employees often stop by when jokbal crosses their minds in Seoul. It’s the Gongdeok-dong ‘jokbal alley’ near Gongdeok station of Korail airport railroad. In addition to jokbal’s flavor, this alley, located in the old style narrow market street, became more known due in part to sundae(stuffed derma) and sundaeguk(Korean Blood Sausage Soup) with free service. Sundae is made by boiling derma putting on all sorts of spices for long time. Sundae is an another traditional food in Korea.

 

Entering to the alley, you can smell jokbal’s unique flavor and see the jokbal alley. This alley has become a famous street in Seoul always with full salaried employees and foreign tourists.

 

It's reputation attributes to jokbal’s taste. Jokbal of this alley has less pig’s unique and unpleasant smell. It's taste is gooey and chewy. The secret of this taste is due to boil pig’s feet daily. Trucks deliver pig’s feet to this alley’s jokbal restaurants around 6 am everyday. And then this alley is busy with boiling pig’s feet.

 

A small size of jokbal dish which costs 24,000 Won is sufficient for 3 persons with free sundae and sundaeguk. After ordering jokbal, side dishes like Kimchi, lettuce, pepper, garlic, ssamjang(a mix of soybean paste and chili paste) and salted shrimp are served at first and then jokbal are provided with sundae and sundaeguk.

 

It is known that on top of it’s taste, jokbal which is rich in gelatin ingredients works well to skin care and anti-aging. You can go easily to Gongdeok-dong jokbal alley using Korail airport railroad running between Seoul station and Incheon international airport station. Let's come out of exit 5 of Gongdeok station of Korail airport railroad and take a little walk. You can easily find Gongdeok market.

Gondeok station is just beside the Hongdae station. How about experiencing Korea’s delicacy-warm and al dente jokbal-after finishing hongdae street touring?