Samgyeopsal (삼겹살) also called as grilled pork belly is a type of “Gui” (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. Samgyeopsal means “three layer flesh” which refers to striations of lean meat and fat in the pork belly that appear as three layers when cut. In Korea, the word samgyeop-sal, meaning “pork belly”, often refers to samgyeop-sal-gui (grilled pork belly).
What is Samgyeopsal?
삼겹살
Thick, fatty slices of pork belly are grilled on a slanted metal griddle or a gridiron at the diners’ table, inset with charcoal grills or convex gas burners. Usually, the people grill the meat themselves. They do it by flipping and cutting them with tongs and scissors and eat directly from the grill.
The meat is mostly unseasoned although marinated samgyeopsal in different flavors such as ginseng, doenjang, and gochujang is also popular. Slices of garlic, onions, green chili peppers, mushrooms, and kimchi are often grilled alongside.
삼겹살 WITH SLICES OF GARLIC, ONIONS AND PEPPERS
Common accompaniments for samgyeopsal include ssam vegetables such as lettuce, kkaennip (perilla leaves), ssammu (pickled radish paper) and dipping sauces such as ssamjang (made with seasoned mixture of chili paste and soy bean paste) and gireum-jang (made with sesame oil, salt, and black pepper), jangajji (soy sauce-pickled vegetables) such as myeongi-jangajji (pickled Siberian onion leaves) or yangpa-jangajji (pickled onions), kimchi, as well as sliced garlic, onions, and seasoned shredded scallions.
THE SIDE DISHES AND SAUCES.
Garlic, onions, and kimchi can be either grilled with the meat or consumed raw with the cooked meat. Mushrooms, such as button mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, are also grilled with the meat.
KHIMCHI
How to properly eat Samgyeopsal?
A grilled piece of meat is placed on the fresh leave of the vegetables and is garnished with ssamjang and rolled up to make ssam. This ssam is eaten in one. mouthful. Any number of combinations can be made from the many accompaniments depending upon the preference of the person.
Cooked rice, stews such as kimchi-jjigae and doenjang-jjigae, as well as naengmyeon (cold noodles) can also be served as meals. Sometimes the leftover meat is mixed with rice, gim-garu (seaweed flakes), and seasonings to make bokkeum-bap (fried rice) at the end. And Samgyeopsal is often accompanied by shots of soju. Somaek, a simple cocktail made by dumping a shot of soju into a glass of beer, is also a popular beverage consumed with samgyeopasal.
BOKKEUM-BAP
My experience of Samgyeopsal
I have been very fond of trying different types of cuisines from all over the world. So, when I arrived in Korea I had made up my mind to explore the specialities of Korean cuisine. Therefore, the very first dinner party I attended with some friends was at a Samgyeopsal restaurant in Wangsimni.
It was pretty awesome to learn about the ways in which the ssam is made. It is amazing how many different flavors can be added to the same dish. I was awestruck with both the taste and the vibe of the restaurant. And all my friends around that big table where everyone is eating directly from the grill. It was really special.
Since then, I have been to many different restaurants that serve Samgyeopsal. Each restaurant has it’s different taste and service method. But one thing that remained constant was that it was always delicious. I am sharing here the pictures of the restaurant which I enjoyed the most.
Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Modern, professional wine tasters use a constantly evolving specialized terminology. It is used to describe the range of perceived flavors, aromas and general characteristics of a wine.
THE FIRST WINE I EVER TASTED.
The wine tasting is done at 4 stages:
- Appearance
- In glass aroma of the wine
- In mouth sensations
- Finish (aftertaste)
The results of these 4 stages are further combined with the following properties of the wine:
- Complexity and character
- Potential (suitable for aging or drinking)
- Possible faults.
CHEERS TO GOOD TIMES!
So, I went into a bar with my lab mates which is popular for wine.
The name of the pub is Tap Square. It is a quite a unique bar with handmade beer and wine available here.
AND A LITTLE BIT OF RED WINE TOO !
The design of the bar is really amazing and gives off a cozy vibe. There are pretty decorations all around with different quotes written here and there. The wine service was pretty special.
I am a timid drinker therefore I have no knowledge about the wine. This experience was pretty special because I learnt how to sip wine in a sophisticated manner.
HAPPY TIMES
The bar offers much more than wine and beer only.
The food they serve is pretty delicious too. It was a great experience of my life although I don’t think I have the pellet for wine ! Haha ^_^
Remarks
I have experienced one amazing thing being in Korea for the last year. It is that whenever there is a dinner plan, it does not necessarily mean eating and drinking at one place only. Koreans generally tend to eat and drink moderately at the first place. After a while, they move onto a second place near by the first place for drinking and snacks. There after having loads of fun, they either move onto another place or go home. the final place is however just meant for a last drinking round and then they head home anyways.
This tradition really connected with Me and I enjoy such dinner plan nowadays. What about you? Would you like to have a great evening like this? Let me know in the comments below.
Thank you so much for reading my post and sharing my experience. Also, if you like this post, please share your reviews or you can read about my other experiences here. Have a good day and stay safe !
