The DGS Season has come

 

Despite the worries on release of radioactive water of Fukushima, the season of dotted gizzard shad (Hereafter just DGS) has come, and everybody seems to enjoy. I had this fish several times with friends and family members too.



DGS was famous for its autumn delicacies but was cheap and considered side menu rather than main dish in the seafood restaurants. In the past, due to the lack of the development of transportation technology and infrastructures, these perishable fish were mainly consumed in ports and coastal areas, and the amount that could be transported inland was limited. Therefore, it was not uncommon to sell this delicious fish at a lower price. In addition to DGS, monkfish (Angler fish if you like to call) have also been rediscovered as delicious fish in modern times, but they have been treated like garbage or something in the past.

 

The reason why autumn DGS is delicious is because of its rich fat. From September to November, it boasts three times as much fat as other fish. On the contrary, when it is not in season, the taste is not that good. But there are exceptions. In Japanese food, young DGSs are used as pickles, and less oily fries are said to be better than oily adult fish.

Although I did not try yet, it is said that grilled autumn DGS is most delicious when you chew it from the head and eat it whole. Some people said that it is so savory as if sesame seeds were embedded in this fish’s head. However, I think chewing a whole fish is not recommendable or practical because DGSs are famous for having lots of fine bones and thorns.

All three different forms of DGS dishes, sashimi, grilled fish, and salad is popular. If you spread it out and fry it around the backbone, the weak spines become weaker and easier to eat. Of course, my favorite DGS dish is sashimi, and I went to both Korean style seafood restaurant and izakaya. I visited one of the famous izakaya in the city and the chef of the place skillfully removed most of fine bones of the fish ( I don’t know how this task was possible though) so when I chewed piece of low fish, I felt like eating regular low fish, not secoshi. If you are having this fish in the more Korean style places, you can feel the texture of bones because most of chefs there may not get rid of small bones. Probably, it is a unique touch making you think cat’s tongue scratches inside your mouth. I think DGS goes well with soju, sake and even with most of highballs.


 



The Namhae region accounts for more than 40% of the nation's catch of DGS. In the long run, it is fortunate that there is little risk of extinction even if this fish is caught every year thanks to the establishment of military protection zones especially near Jinhae and its vicinity, and the catch of DGS caught in the West Sea and East Sea is also increasing rapidly due to rising water temperature.

I would like to have DGS dishes again before this autumn is spent.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Amberjack or Yellowtail?

Image
  While amberjack is the legitimate English name of this winter’s delicacy, most people online prefer to use yellowtail or kingfish for bangeo thus I use yellowtail referring to this fish here. Yellowtail is a migratory fish species that ranges from the East Sea, West Sea, South Sea, Jeju Island, Japan, and Taiwan to Hawaii. The body is about 1-2 m long with a conical snout. The body colors of the adult fish and the fries are different, and the fries have yellow vertical stripes, but they disappear as they mature. The body color of the adult fish is blue with a metallic luster on the back and silver white on the belly. There is a pale-yellow vertical band between the tip of the snout and the tail. Like tuna, it is a pelagic fish that travels a long distance, and its flesh is red. Unlike other blue-backed fish, which are unable to breathe if they do not swim continuously and die just by climbing out of the water due to their sensitivity to the environment, they swim slowly and are
Read more

Unconventional taste and rough sea ahead

Image
  I am always excited about trying to eat new sea foods and this time I have a good time to taste soy source seasoned herring at the local restaurant. Now, the fuss over Fukushima contaminated water discharge seemed to be fizzled out. Many seafood manias looked very happy, ignoring such event. However, recently, a new serious issue that may concern seafood lovers alike emerge.   There have been several fatal fishing boat accidents took place in the Korean waters. On the 9 th this month, a 20-ton Jeju shipping fishing boat sank in the sea of Yokjido Island in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, killing four sailors and missing five. Five days later, a 139-ton fishing boat from Busan that set sail to catch sardines also sank off Yokjido Island, killing four people. During the spring spawning season when fish move to the coast, it is difficult to catch fish in the distant sea, so they often go out to the prohibited area and operate. All these incidents have something to do with excessiv
Read more

Delight of having localized dishes

Image
  Lately, we went to a kind of fusion Italian restaurant ‘Mafia Salon’ nearby the Sinjungdong Lotte department store. In this restaurant, not only common Italian dishes, but also, they serve many Korean style side dishes that are good match to soju and beer. This place is one of Leo’s favorites because, there, he loves crab meat cream-based pasta. Yes…recently we ate many noodles and pastas and they are also my preference too. My first impression is that this place seems to be a beer hall, but unlike others, customers are not 9 to 5 works, but families and lovers. I usually have different types of cocktails and highballs rather than beers here. Usually, Leo hated any types of seasoning and sources, but when it comes to pastas and Chinese noodles like Jajangmyeon (black bean source noodle), he is OK. The crab meat pasta served in Mafia Salon came with crab meat, sliced vegetables, pieces of galic bread, mussels with cream source, which was originally a bit spicy for Leo. Therefore,
Read more