Jeju Black Pork Review: Ish Eats World
When you visit Jeju Island, you simply can’t miss having a Jeju black pork barbecue. If you don’t do it, I swear you are missing out. The people of Jeju Island take so much pride in their pork, they even made a monument to honor the revered animal.
The Jeju black pig is a breed that is native to the area and while rare in other parts of the country, Jeju boasts an entire street full of restaurants specializing in black pork. After a morning on tour, my friends and I found ourselves in Black Pork Street. Our guide suggested a particular barbecue restaurant that uses a charcoal grill. I much prefer charcoal over electric grills or a teppan.
Thick slices of black pork belly were served at our table. They have staff assisting in case you aren’t familiar with handling a Korean barbecue. Just to clarify, the pigs have a black skin but the meat isn’t dark at all.
Just like a typical Korean Barbecue, a wide selection of banchan was served with our pork. We had kimchi, marinated vegetables, salads and some lettuce and perilla leaves to make wraps. We also ordered some spicy kimchi jjigae.
The pork was very tender and juicy. It had the perfect balance of lean meat and fat. There was no gamey smell or taste and the smokiness from the charcoal grill gave it a complex depth of flavor that I am still dreaming about as I write this piece. The meat was so good I almost didn’t need to dip it in the ssamjang!
Watch the video above to see our full experience.
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