Eating in Tongyeong

Tongyeong is a small port on the South Sea coast of South Gyeongsang Province, and its food is the food of the harbor: seafood, portable snacks and meals designed to travel. It is an easy city to eat in on foot, because most of what follows sits within a short walk of the waterfront and the central market. For the city's history and the wider story, see the Tongyeong region page; this page is the practical companion.

Chungmu gimbap

Chungmu gimbap is the city's most famous plate and an unusual one. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture describes thin, finger-width rolls of seasoned rice wrapped in laver with no filling at all. The side dishes come separately: blanched squid (ojingeo) tossed with chili powder, soy sauce, garlic and sesame, as in ojingeochae-muchim, plus diced or large-cut radish kimchi (kkakdugi or seokbakji). A bowl of dried radish-greens soup often accompanies the set, and octopus or fish cake can replace the squid.

The encyclopedia treats it as a dish from after liberation and gives two oral explanations: fishermen who needed meals that would not spoil in summer, and vendors selling to ferry passengers on boats without refrigeration. Both stories rely on the same idea of keeping the rice apart from the sides. Eat a roll, then a piece of squid, then a piece of radish; it is meant to be a rhythm of three bites. The encyclopedia notes that portions have shrunk and prices risen compared with the old laborer's meal.

Oysters

Tongyeong is one of Korea's centers of oyster farming, though sources disagree on how large its share of national output is: the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture gives roughly 30 percent, while a VisitKorea travel article says over 80 percent. Take either number as a sign of scale rather than a precise figure. VisitKorea says most Tongyeong oysters are grown by suspension culture, in which larvae settle on shells that are hung in the sea, a method that began in the southern sea around 1960. Harvest begins in late October and the flavor is said to peak from December to early February.

The same article lists oyster dishes that go well beyond raw or grilled: a spicy stir-fry with pork shoulder, oyster-and-seaweed bibimbap, gratin, pasta and a multi-course oyster menu. Oysters also appear in rice, soup, pancakes and salted preparations; see gul and eoriguljeot. If you are eating raw shellfish, follow the cautions in food safety at home and the notes on allergens.

Kkulppang

Kkulppang, "honey bread," is a ball of dough filled with red bean paste, deep-fried and coated with syrup and sesame. VisitKorea describes it as a round, donut-like bread coated in a mixture of seeds and nuts bound with grain syrup, and says it began as a filling snack for fishermen working long days. Korea.net says Jeong Won-seok is believed to have been the first to make and sell it, at a stand in 1963. The name is explained in different ways: one source says the syrup is as sweet as honey, another that the glaze looks like honey. Either way, it contains no actual honey according to VisitKorea. Shops make it differently, and the dough thickness and filling vary, so trying a couple is part of the fun.

Jungang Market and the harbor

Tongyeong Jungang Market sits beside Gangguan harbor. VisitKorea describes a market with nearly 400 years of history that sells fresh and dried fish, local produce, rice cakes and mother-of-pearl crafts, with Dongpirang mural village right next to it. This is the place to see the local catch and to understand what the restaurants are cooking. For how such markets work, see traditional markets, and for a bigger fish market, Noryangjin.

Planning tips

• Eat chungmu gimbap and kkulppang as quick stops; give a seafood meal more time.
• Oysters are best in winter. Ask what is in season rather than assuming every dish is available all year.
• Seafood in markets is often sold by weight and cooked nearby; see ordering and paying.
• Names of shops change. Check current listings with the city's tourism office before you plan around a single vendor.