Yongdae-ri Deokjang · Dried Pollock
Hwangtae-gui (Grilled Dried Pollock)
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The fish hangs outdoors through an entire winter, freezing and thawing dozens of times as temperatures swing — that repeated cycle is what turns tough pollock into hwangtae's signature fluffy, tender texture.
Pollock caught off the East Sea is hung on outdoor racks through Gangwon's brutal winter, freezing and thawing daily until the flesh turns pale, fibrous, and tender. Vendors grill it whole under a sweet-spicy gochujang glaze, or shred it into a milky soup, at stalls throughout Gangwon's inland towns.
Why it's made this way: The mountain village of Yongdae-ri near Inje has the exact mix of subzero nights, wind, and snow this slow freeze-thaw drying process needs, and it now supplies most of Korea's dried pollock, making hwangtae one of Gangwon's most distinctive regional foods.
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