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Grilled mackerel with rice and side dishes

생선구이 · Grilled fish

Grilled fish

생선구이

What exactly is it?

Cleaned fish is seasoned and cooked in a pan, on a grate or in an oven. Restaurants commonly grill it in the kitchen and serve it on a plate with rice; diners separate the flesh from the bones. Pork-barbecue condiments are not essential to the meal.

Main ingredients

Fish such as mackerel, hairtail, croaker or hokke (Okhotsk Atka mackerel), salt, rice and side dishes

Ordering and serving

Service varies. KOMSA’s report on 88 Saengseon Gui in Sokcho describes staff grilling fish over charcoal at the table and transferring it to plates. Tabletop grilling does not automatically mean self-service: ask who handles the grill. For a mixed set, check the minimum portions and whether rice is included.

Origins and changes

Local catches and salting or drying traditions shaped which fish were grilled. Modern set meals offer both a single chosen fish and mixed platters for comparing several kinds.

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Dish to compare

Grilled fish

생선구이

Main ingredients
Fish such as mackerel, hairtail, croaker or hokke (Okhotsk Atka mackerel), salt, rice and side dishes
Flavor and character
Cleaned fish is seasoned and cooked in a pan, on a grate or in an oven. Restaurants commonly grill it in the kitchen and serve it on a plate with rice; diners separate the flesh from the bones. Pork-barbecue condiments are not essential to the meal.
How to eat it
Service varies. KOMSA’s report on 88 Saengseon Gui in Sokcho describes staff grilling fish over charcoal at the table and transferring it to plates. Tabletop grilling does not automatically mean self-service: ask who handles the grill. For a mixed set, check the minimum portions and whether rice is included.
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Grilled mackerel

고등어구이

Main ingredients
Mackerel, salt or soy seasoning, cooking oil
Flavor and character
Mackerel is salted and grilled until the skin browns. Its oily flesh stays moist while the surface crisps. Servings may be half a fish or cut pieces; pre-salted mackerel can taste saltier than freshly seasoned fish.
How to eat it
It usually arrives grilled. Separate the flesh along the central bone and watch for smaller bones. Taste before adding soy sauce or salt, since the fish is already seasoned.
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