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whole bugeo (dried pollock)

Dried Pollock

Korean Name: 황태

Romanization: Hwangtae

Scientific Classification: Gadus Chalcogrammus

Also Known As: Pollock, Walleye pollock, Bugeo 북어

Flavor Profile/Texture:

chewy dry flavorful

Substitutes:

dried cod

Goes well with:

sesame oil, soy sauce

What is Hwangtae (Dried Pollock) ?

2 whole dried pollock laid out on white tray
Dried Whole Pollock - Hwangtae Bugeo

Dried Pollock or Hwangtae (황태) is the dried Alaska Pollock but the process of drying involves freezing/drying in the cold winter months which produces a more intense flavor and dark yellow color and hence the name 'hwang' which means 'yellow'.

FYI, Koreans have different names for all the different forms of this favorite fish.

  • 명태 (Myeongtae) – is THE name for Alaska Pollock. They are caught in the North Pacific.
  • 동태 (Dongtae) – frozen Alaska Pollock
  • 생태 (Saengtae) – fresh Alaska Pollock
  • 북어 (Bugeo) – fully dried Alaska Pollock
  • 황태 (Hwangtae) - freeze-dried Alaska Pollock
  • 코다리 (Kodari) – semi-dried Alaska Pollock
  •  노가리 (Nogari) - smaller younger pollocks are dried until they're rock hard. 

Not To Be Confused With

Pollack or Atlantic Pollock which is a different genus Pollachius and not Gadus.

Where and What To Buy

Hwangtae comes in different forms. You can buy the whole dried fish or you can buy just the meat part torn into pieces which are called Hwantgae Che 황태채.

 

How to Use/Cook

Even though technically there's a difference between Bugeo vs Hwangtae, the word is used almost interchangeably in Korea since almost all dried pollock sold are Hwangtae as they are softer and more flavorful.

You can use the whole fish and make jorims or Bugeo Bulgogi. You can see a close up of the dried pollock flesh in the picture below -

close up of dried pollock meat
Dried pollock Hwangtae Bugeo closeup

And then when you tear up the dried fish with your hands into strips, you get what you see below -

bugeo or hwangtae strips pile on plate
bugeo (dried pollock) strips

Or you can tear out meaty flesh part into strips and make Hwangtaeche 황태채 and use it to make Bugeo Guk with it or season it and make a side dish like Bugeo Muchim.

Also, Bugeo is also a very popular Anju (side dishes that are served with liquor or rice wine) in Korean cuisine. Usually it is enjoyed by dipping the dried fish in simple gochujang (not seasoned but straight up gochujang).

How to Clean/Store

You can store Hwangtae in a cool dry place but for longer storage it's best to keep it refrigerated.

Nutrition/Health Info

Research shows that pollock has a high amount of an amino acid called methionine that helps with normal liver function and is essential for elimination of toxins in the body. And in Korean culture, Bugeo has long been known to help with hangovers by detoxifying the liver.

When I was growing up, I remember many feeding boiled dried pollock head soup to dogs whenever they ingested something bad. Once my dog ingested rat poison and my parents gave the dog some bugeo soup and he survived!

Recipes that use it:

Bugeo Guk (Korean Dried Pollock Soup)

Dried Pollock Soup – Bugeo Guk (북어국)

Pan Seared Dried Pollock (Korean Bugeo Gui)

Pan Seared Korean Dried Pollock (북어구이 Bugeo Gui)

Korean Ingredient Glossary!

Learn about over 100 popular Korean ingredients in our new ingredient glossary!

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