Hongeo Street · Fermented Skate
Naju Hongeo
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The fish is deliberately left to ferment unrefrigerated until it gives off a sharp ammonia bite strong enough to clear your sinuses — locals treat that smell as a mark of authenticity, not spoilage.
Skate is left to ferment for days without refrigeration, a process that breaks down its cartilage into ammonia and gives the sliced raw fish its notoriously pungent smell and tongue-numbing bite. It's traditionally wrapped in aged kimchi with a slice of boiled pork belly as 'samhap,' served at a cluster of restaurants on Naju's dedicated Hongeo Street.
Why it's made this way: Traders historically shipped skate inland from Heuksando Island through the nearby Yeongsanpo port, and the days-long journey without refrigeration accidentally fermented the fish — a happy accident Naju turned into its defining regional delicacy.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries.
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