Ganjang Gejang is a Korean traditional food made with crabs and soy sauce. This food goes very well with steamed rice. Therefore, it was nicknamed ‘rice thief’ by Koreans. Ganjang Gejang offers a delightful blend of sweet and salty flavors, while Yangnyeom Gejang, in addition to its inherent spiciness, further enriches the overall taste. People usually eat the flesh of Gejang while pressing it with their hands or mix it with steamed rice. The Yeungnam Observer tasted Ganjang Gejang with a foreign friend, Li Junyu, from China. Please focus on our vivid impressions!
We went to the Ganjang Gejang restaurant in Daegu. We ordered Ganjang Gejang and Yangnyeom Gejang. While waiting for the dishes, we discussed Korean and Chinese food cultures. Ganjang Gejang is a famous traditional food for eating with hands in Korea. According to Junyu, China also has Beijing Duck, a traditional food eaten with hands like Ganjang Gejang. She was also interested in Korean culture, which provides various side dishes for free when ordering the main dish. Because Chinese restaurants do not offer a variety of side dishes for free like in Korea, she added that seasoned bean sprouts and mushroom sprouts are the most delicious among the side dishes.
After the main dishes came out, we had Ganjang Gejang with various side dishes and steamed rice. Overall, Ganjang Gejang can enjoy the flavor of soy sauce that is perfectly seasoned. Yangnyeom Gejang is slightly spicy and sweet through the Korean chili sauce.
The most delicious way to eat these Ganjang Gejangs is to mix steamed rice with the intestines on a crab shell. When I told Junyu how to do this, she was amazed and said the taste was very delicious. If you plan to try Ganjang Gejang, you should enjoy the delicacy through this method.
After the meal, we discussed which was better: Ganjang Gejang or Yangnyeom Gejang. Junyu said that Ganjang Gejang was more delicious because she disliked spicy sauce. However, I like spicy and sweet tastes, so I thought of more delicious Yangnyeom Gejang. If you prefer a light taste or soy sauce, recommend Ganjang Gejang. If you prefer spicy and salty food, recommend Yangnyeom Gejang. Junyu said, “When I ate Ganjang Gejang in Guangdong Province, China, it was salty. By the way, the Ganjang Gejang I ate in Korea today was perfectly seasoned and delicious.” Lastly, she also said that she would like to recommend this food to those who have not tasted Ganjang Gejang and are wondering to try it.
We became closer through food and got to know each other more deeply. I realized that delicious food has an extraordinary power that makes a good relationship. If you want to be friend foreigners, let us say it like this. “Do you want to go eat with me?”
