Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Jangajji & Jeotgal: The Preserved Pantry

Updated June 11, 2026

The quiet preservation shelf of the Korean home: jangajji vegetable pickles cured in soy, vinegar, and paste; salt-pressed oiji and mu-jjanji; the jeotgal salted seafood that seasons half the cuisine; fish-sauce aekjeot; and the eastern grain-fermented sikhae. Measured so they can be handed on.

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Myeolchi-jeot (Salted Anchovy) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Myeolchi-jeot (Salted Anchovy)

Whole anchovies layered with salt and time, fermented until the flesh softens and the brine turns deep and savory; the quiet southern backbone of kimchi.

Yangpa-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Onion) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Yangpa-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Onion)

Quartered onions cured in soy, vinegar, and sugar, the modern home jangajji that waits in the refrigerator and rescues any table heavy with grilled meat.

Toha-jeot (Salted Freshwater Shrimp) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Toha-jeot (Salted Freshwater Shrimp)

A Jeolla salted shrimp preserve made from clean-water toha, weighed with enough sea salt to age safely, then seasoned in small batches so the tiny shrimp still taste like themselves.

Mu-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Radish) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Mu-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Radish)

The workhorse soy pickle of the Korean table: late-autumn radish salted until it gives up water, then cured in a clean soy brine until firm, brown-edged, and ready for rice.

Ojingeo-jeot (오징어젓, Salted Squid) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Ojingeo-jeot (오징어젓, Salted Squid)

Thin-sliced squid, briefly salted so it stays tender, then dressed with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and sesame; the mild jeotgal that waits in the refrigerator for rice.

Oiji (Salt-Cured Cucumber) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Oiji (Salt-Cured Cucumber)

Small summer cucumbers cured whole in a hard salt brine, weighted so none floats, then soaked, squeezed, and dressed into the cold banchan Korean tables keep for hot days.

Gulbi-jangajji (Gochujang-Cured Dried Croaker) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Gulbi-jangajji (Gochujang-Cured Dried Croaker)

Salted dried croaker from the Jeolla preserved table, pulled clean from the bone, dried again, then cured in a restrained gochujang paste for small bites over rice.

Jogae-jeot (조개젓, Salted Clams) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Jogae-jeot (조개젓, Salted Clams)

Spring clams preserved with enough salt to keep them clean and soft, then dressed only when served with gochugaru, scallion, garlic, and sesame so the shellfish still tastes of the tide.

Kkaennip-jangajji (Pickled Perilla Leaves) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Kkaennip-jangajji (Pickled Perilla Leaves)

Fragrant perilla leaves layered with soy, garlic, scallion, and chili, then pressed under brine until each leaf becomes a sharp, savory wrap for hot rice.

Kkanari-aekjeot (Sand Lance Fish Sauce) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Kkanari-aekjeot (Sand Lance Fish Sauce)

A clean, pale fish sauce made by salting spring sand lance until time pulls out an amber seasoning, gentle enough for white kimchi and firm enough to season a whole winter's jars.

Oi-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Cucumber) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Oi-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Cucumber)

Small summer cucumbers packed whole, shocked with boiling soy-vinegar brine, then re-poured after three days so the flesh stays crisp and the pickle tastes of cucumber, salt, and restraint.

Changnan-jeot (Salted Pollack Tripe) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Changnan-jeot (Salted Pollack Tripe)

A bracing Korean jeotgal of pollack intestines, cleaned with coarse salt, fermented cold until firm and savory, then dressed lightly with gochugaru, garlic, sesame, and scallion for rice.

Galchi-sokjeot (갈치속젓, Salted Hairtail Innards) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Galchi-sokjeot (갈치속젓, Salted Hairtail Innards)

A southern jeotgal of salted hairtail innards, aged cold until deep and sharp, made safely in a jar and used by the teaspoon to give kimchi, stews, and ssamjang their ocean backbone.

Nakji-jeot (Salted Octopus) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Nakji-jeot (Salted Octopus)

Small octopus cleaned hard with coarse salt, cold-cured until firm, then seasoned with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and sesame so each chewy piece still tastes of the sea.

Mu-jjanji (Salt-Cured Radish) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Mu-jjanji (Salt-Cured Radish)

Whole late-autumn radishes packed in an 18 percent salt brine until crisp and deeply seasoned, then soaked back to balance and dressed with chili, sesame, and scallion for the winter table.

Nogari (Dried Baby Pollack with Chili-Mayo) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Nogari (Dried Baby Pollack with Chili-Mayo)

The late-night dried pollack snack that asks for almost no cooking, only careful roasting, patient tearing, and a chili-mayo dip kept sharp enough not to bury the fish.

Maneul-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Garlic) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Maneul-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Garlic)

Whole garlic cloves blanched briefly, packed in a clean jar, and cured in a boiled soy-vinegar brine until their sharp bite turns mellow enough for rice.

Gajami-sikhae (Fermented Flatfish with Millet) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Gajami-sikhae (Fermented Flatfish with Millet)

A northern winter preserve of dried flatfish, millet, malt, and radish, fermented until the bones soften and the fish turns chewy, savory, and lightly tart.

Myeolchi-aekjeot (Anchovy Fish Sauce) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Myeolchi-aekjeot (Anchovy Fish Sauce)

The clear amber seasoning drawn from salted anchovies after months of waiting, then boiled, settled, and strained twice so kimchi and soups taste deep without tasting muddy.

Hwangseogeo-jeot (Salted Yellow Croaker) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Hwangseogeo-jeot (Salted Yellow Croaker)

Small spring yellow croaker packed whole with sea salt, left to ripen until autumn, then used for the deep, savory brine that gives Gunsan-style winter kimchi its backbone.

Eori-gul-jeot (Spicy Salted Oysters) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Eori-gul-jeot (Spicy Salted Oysters)

Plump winter oysters salted just enough to firm, then folded with gochugaru, garlic, and ginger into the Chungcheong jeotgal that steals the rice bowl.

Maneuljjong-jangajji (마늘종장아찌, Pickled Garlic Scapes) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Maneuljjong-jangajji (마늘종장아찌, Pickled Garlic Scapes)

Young spring garlic scapes cut into tidy lengths and cured in a soy-vinegar brine until crisp, salty, and faintly sweet, the kind of jangajji that keeps rice moving.

Doraji-jangajji (Cured Bellflower Root) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Doraji-jangajji (Cured Bellflower Root)

A make-ahead bellflower root pickle with a clean bitter edge, cured until chewy and seasoned with restraint so the doraji still tastes like itself.

Dasima-jangajji (다시마장아찌, Soy-Pickled Kelp) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Dasima-jangajji (다시마장아찌, Soy-Pickled Kelp)

Soft strips of broth kelp cured in soy, vinegar, and a little sweetness, a quiet make-ahead banchan that teaches the stock pot not to waste what still has flavor.

Put-gochu-jangajji (Pickled Green Chilies) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Put-gochu-jangajji (Pickled Green Chilies)

Crisp green chilies cured in a balanced soy-vinegar brine, a make-ahead banchan that depends on one small duty: pierce every chili so the brine reaches the inside.

Myeongtae-sikhae (Fermented Pollack with Grain) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Myeongtae-sikhae (Fermented Pollack with Grain)

Firm half-dried pollack folded with cooked grain, malt, radish, and measured seasoning, then fermented cold until the fish turns chewy, savory, and cleanly sharp.

Ueong-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Burdock) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Ueong-jangajji (Soy-Pickled Burdock)

Earthy burdock root cut thin, held pale in vinegar water, then cured in a soy-vinegar brine until it stays crisp enough to snap beside rice.

Deodeok-jangajji (더덕장아찌, Gochujang-Cured Bellroot) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Deodeok-jangajji (더덕장아찌, Gochujang-Cured Bellroot)

Mountain bellroot pounded flat, dried until tacky, then buried in a restrained gochujang cure; scrape away the old paste, dress with sesame, and serve a few aromatic strips with rice.

Kongnip-jangajji (콩잎장아찌, Doenjang-Cured Bean Leaves) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Kongnip-jangajji (콩잎장아찌, Doenjang-Cured Bean Leaves)

Late-season soybean leaves, brined until yellow and soft, then cured under a measured doenjang paste until one leaf can season a whole spoonful of rice.

Maesil-jangajji (Pickled Green Plum) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Maesil-jangajji (Pickled Green Plum)

Firm early-summer green plums cut in petals from the stone, lightly salted, and cured with sugar until crisp, tart, and ready to sit beside rice all year.

Kkolttugi-jeot (꼴뚜기젓, Salted Baby Squid) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Kkolttugi-jeot (꼴뚜기젓, Salted Baby Squid)

Fresh baby squid cleaned by hand, salted at 15 percent, cold-cured until savory, then seasoned lightly with gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and sesame for a small banchan that wakes plain rice.

Myeongnan-jeot (Salted Pollack Roe) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Myeongnan-jeot (Salted Pollack Roe)

Intact pollack roe sacs cured with measured salt, rinsed clean, and seasoned lightly with gochugaru, garlic, and soju, so each slice stays whole and tastes of the sea, not the seasoning.

Saeu-jeot (Salted Shrimp) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Saeu-jeot (Salted Shrimp)

A cool-season jar of tiny shrimp and coarse sea salt, fermented slowly until it seasons kimchi, stews, and bossam with a brine that tastes clean, deep, and never rotten.

Myeongi-jangajji (Pickled Mountain Garlic) - Chef Jeong-sun

Chef Jeong-sun

Myeongi-jangajji (Pickled Mountain Garlic)

Young mountain garlic leaves folded into a soy-vinegar brine, mellowed until their sharp green bite becomes the leaf you want around grilled pork, rice, and a full table.

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