Frozen Pollack StewDongtae Jjigae

Bostjan from Ljubljana came to Seoul for a conference on biomedical engineering. On his last evening, he wanted authentic Korean food that wasn't on tourist menus. Dongtae jjigae fit that description exactly — frozen pollack stew is a Korean home kitchen staple with no international reputation whatsoever.

Dongtae means 'frozen pollack' — a specific preparation where the fish is freeze-dried and then frozen. The process, done in the mountain air of Gangwon province, creates a fish with an almost sponge-like texture. When that texture meets hot, spicy broth, it absorbs the liquid in a way that fresh fish cannot. Each piece becomes a concentrated delivery vehicle for gochugaru and anchovy stock.

Bostjan held a piece up on his chopstick and examined it. He said it had a texture unlike any fish he'd eaten — not firm, not flaky, almost pillowy. He described it as 'fish that wants to be broth.' Which is exactly right.

The preparation is unusual: you cut the fish while still partially frozen. The semi-frozen state means the flesh doesn't fall apart under the knife. Once it goes into the boiling stock, it thaws and cooks simultaneously, soaking up the broth from the inside out.

The radish goes in the bottom of the pot — not to protect the fish, but because radish releases its sweetness slowly and benefits from the longer cooking time. The tofu and zucchini add body and texture in the final five minutes. By the time it's done, the entire pot is unified: red, spicy, fragrant, and deeply satisfying over plain white rice.