Gwamegi

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Gwamegi (Korean: 과메기) is a Korean half-dried Pacific herring or Pacific saury made during winter. It is mostly eaten in the region of North Gyeongsang Province in places such as Pohang, Uljin, and Yeongdeok, where a large amount of the fish are harvested. Guryongpo Harbor in Pohang is the most famous. Fresh herring or saury is frozen at -10 degrees Celsius and is placed outdoors in December to repeat freezing at night and thawing during the day. The process continues until the water content of the fish drops to approximately 40%. There are records of gwamegi in the Joseon era document Oju yŏnmun changjŏn san'go which mentions: "herring is smoked in order to prevent rotting". In another document Kyuhap ch'ongsŏ, it is written: "herring with clear eyes are chosen to be dried, which give an unusual taste". The city of Pohang holds an annual Gwamegi Festival to promote the local specialty food. It started in 1997 to promote gwamegi and boost local economies. It is held in November every year and hosts various programs, such as a specialty product contest, free tasting events, and playing traditional Korean music. Some of the major events include the auction of gwamegi as well as guessing the weight of a gwamegi.