12 Korean recipes that you can make using Saeujeot (Korean Salted Fermented Shrimps)! Different types of kimchi, soups, stews and side dishes!
About Korean Salted Fermented Shrimps (Saeujeot)
Saeujeot 새우젓 is an ingredient in Korean cooking that is made by salting and fermenting tiny shrimps over many months. It is a well-known and an essential ingredient in making Kimchi, but you can actually use it in a variety of other dishes and it helps to greatly deepen the flavor!
It is a popular Jeotgal 젓갈 (Salted Seafood) which is how it gets its name – Saeu 새우 (Shrimp) and Jeot 젓 for Jeotgal. This ingredient is often used as a salty seasoning in Korean cooking in addition to salt or in lieu of it. It is also used as a condiment – especially when eating pork. I list some of the pork dishes below.
The great thing about Saeujeot is that these keep for a long time in your refrigerator because it’s so heavily salted. When buying these, look for ones where the shrimps look very much whole and intact and has a clear color rather than muddy. To learn more about these tiny salted and fermented shrimps, you can read more about it in my Ingredient Glossary post HERE.
HOBAK BOKKEUM (Zucchini Stir-Fry) with Saeujeot
This is a simple and healthy side dish made by stir-frying zucchini but by seasoning it with some Saeujeot first to draw out some liquid to make it crunchy and also seasoning it before cooking it. Perfect with any meal and a great way to use up zucchini from your gardens!
GYERAN JJIM
A fluffy steamed egg hot pot typically served at Korean BBQ restaurants! Easy to make at home and great even on it’s own with just some hot rice and kimchi!
BOSSAM (Steamed Pork Belly with saeujeot)
Bossam 보쌈 is a dish traditionally enjoyed around Kimjang (when Koreans make large quantities of kimchi in the fall to last through the winter) but also eaten year-round. Tender and flavorful pork belly is wrapped in crunchy pickled cabbage leaves with spicy and refreshing radish kimchi salad and of course topped with a bit of the salted fermented shrimps. Sooo yummy and absolutely satisfying!
BTW, Saeujeot contains an enzyme called lipase which helps to digest pork fat so Koreans enjoy eating pork with it not just for taste but because it’s good to eat together.
BUGEO GUK (Dried Pollock Soup)
A wonderfully soothing, nutritious and detoxing soup made from dried pollock (Bugeo)! This is great for curing hangovers or when you just want a quick comforting meal! Try serving some Saeujeot at the table so guests can add more to taste and the flavor of it will come alive when added at the end. Enjoy!
SUNDUBU JJIGAE (Soft Tofu Stew)
One of the most popular Korean stews! This is my basic recipe for Sundubu Jjigae that you can choose to enjoy as it is or dress it up by adding kimchi, your choice of meats, or mushrooms. My chili seasoning sauce also makes enough for 3-4 batches of Sundubu Jjigae and can be stored in the fridge for several weeks which is a great time saver!
DONGTAE JJIGAE (Alasakan Pollock Stew)
Dongtae Jjigae is a hearty, spicy fish stew made with frozen Alaska Pollock! This is a comforting dish that’ll be sure to warm you up and is fairly easy to make – ready in just 30 minutes! Salted Fermented Shrimps always adds a great flavor of the salty ocean so try adding it to any seafood stew.
TRADITIONAL KIMCHI
Traditional Korean Cabbage Kimchi made with halved or quartered cabbages! Also called Tong Baechu 통배추 Kimchi, this is the most classic and well-known type of kimchi that Koreans make. Although it’s a bit of work, keeping it whole keeps all the wonderful flavors of the cabbage still in the leaves and once you try it homemade, it becomes worth all the effort and you’ll have a hard time buying it from the store again!
MAK KIMCHI
Mak Kimchi literally means “Easy” Kimchi, because, unlike traditional kimchi where the cabbage halves are stuffed between the leaves with seasoning, the cabbage is chopped up into pieces and simply mixed with Kimchi seasoning. This saves a lot of time and work and you still get wonderfully delicious tasting Kimchi!
EASY KIMCHI USING THE BLENDER
This is an easy kimchi recipe that I came up with where the seasoning is made using the blender! This is North Korean style kimchi that I grew up eating and it has a lighter and more refreshing taste than the common type of kimchi most are familiar with. But just like all the kimchi recipes above, Saeujeot is kind of a must in the seasoning.
CHONG GAK KIMCHI (Pony Tail Radish Kimchi)
One of my absolute favorite kinds of kimchi! Made with Altari (Ponytail) Radishes, this kimchi has a wonderful crunchy texture that makes it so addictive and it goes well with any meal! And save the sour radish kimchi and make Jjigae with it. It’s soo good!!
KKAKDUGI (Cubed Radish Kimchi)
If you’ve never made kimchi before, Kkakdugi is a great one to start with! Not only is it delicious, but it’s incredibly quick and easy to make – you can have it ready in just 30 minutes! No need to brine for hours. Crunchy, zingy and great with rich soups like Galbitang, Gomtang or Seollongtang!
GOCHUSSI KIMCHI (Pepper Seeds Cabbage Kimchi)
This is a rare type of cabbage kimchi that is not very well-known and is made using chili pepper seeds. Incredibly flavorful, less spicy and more naturally sweet than your average kimchi which helps you to really savor the taste of the cabbage. The pepper seeds also helps to keep it from spoiling quickly so it should make the kimchi last longer too!
Well, I hope these recipes will inspire you and you can get the courage (🤩) to buy a whole jar of Saeujeot!! Because there’s just really nothing like it. It really is one of the core Korean ingredients that make a dish curiously tasty – curious because there are no words to really describe how it tastes! 😂🤣
Happy Cooking!!
XOXO 💕
JinJoo
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