Jeoneo (Konosirus punctatus) is native to the Pacific waters around Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It’s a near relative of the sardine and the herring, with the same agility and gleaming silver skin. Break down the name jeoneo into its Chinese character roots, and you get jeon (전), which means “money,” and eo (어), which means “fish.” Some people say this is because jeoneo is worth its weight in gold. Korean people say that there’s no better season for jeoneo than fall. It’s the time of year when the evenings are crisp, the skies are cloudless and blue, and you start to think about platefuls of crispy grilled jeoneo and piles of raw jeoneo slices.
If you mention jeoneo (전어, spotted gizzard shad) to Korean people, I’m pretty sure that she or he will bring up the popular saying “전어 굽는 냄새는 집 나간 며느리도 돌아오게 한다.” “The smell of grilled jeoneo will make even the runaway daughter-in-law come back home.” Imagine how delicious this little fish should be even to make the runaway come home lol
There’s also another Korean saying about Jeon-eo: “가을 전어 머리엔 깨가 서말,” which roughly translates to “There are three kilos of sesame in the fall jeoneo’s head.” In other words, the fish becomes so nutty and oily this season, and the fish head, in particular, is full of oil. The nuttiness in Korean cuisine is often described in terms of sesame oil.
One way to enjoy this beloved fish, Jeon-eo is to eat it with sprinkling sesame seeds or sesame oil on it. Sesame makes it more savory with its nuttiness. But for foreigners who are not familiar with raw fish, this way might not be a great idea to try out. Even for me, sometimes its smell is a bit too harsh.
For foreigners who are afraid to eat raw food, I recommend the following methods. Another way of enjoying Jeon-eo in an authentic Korean way is to put some salt on the fish and get it grilled. Or you can rub the fish in spicy, yet delicious Korean red sauce. Many Koreans enjoy eating red Jeon-eo with sesame leaves.
Between September and October, the jeoneo return from their deep-sea summer home, where they’ve been filling up on plankton and getting nice and fat. They head straight for the brackish waters where rivers meet the sea, where they’ll winter before heading back out in spring. Now is when they’re plump and full of oily, fatty flesh, but they’re still young enough that their bones are soft enough to chew right through. After October, their bones harden and they’re no longer quite as easily edible.
Between September and October, the jeoneo return from their deep-sea summer home, where they’ve been filling up on plankton and getting nice and fat. They head straight for the brackish waters where rivers meet the sea, where they’ll winter before heading back out in spring. Now is when they’re plump and full of oily, fatty flesh, but they’re still young enough that their bones are soft enough to chew right through. After October, their bones harden and they’re no longer quite as easily edible. Time’s ticking, if you are in Korea at this moment, please don’t miss the chance to enjoy jeon-eo.