South Korea’s summer goes into high gear with June. And the country gets more and more days with temperature soaring above 30℃. As temperature rises sharply, human body finds it difficult to adjust. People run out of stamina faster. Health food steps in at the right time. Korea has a variety of health foods, but jeonbokjuk, which includes abalone, a.k.a. the wild ginseng from the sea, is the country’s representative dish that is enjoyed by everyone, man and woman, young and old. Considering that the population is aging, it is an outstanding dish which not only is easy to eat and digest but can also restore stamina. Jeonbokjuk, which is minced abalone and soaked rice stir-fried with sesame oil and then boiled with added water, is rich in vitamin A, B1, and B2, calcium, zinc etc. and was enjoyed at the royal palace for its chewy mouthfeel and savoy flavor. It’s recipe is simple, too. By just preparing abalone well for cooking, one can quickly make nutrition-rich jeonbokjuk. Let’s start making jeonbokjuk.

#Reliable abalone from Wando

Wando County from Jeollanam-do is one of the world’s largest producers of abalone. The abalone output from Wando County takes up 70% of the entire South Korean output. Wando abalone, which feeds on sea algae such as kelp and sea mustard that grow in the clean sea, presents excellent quality with its tender meat. 

The virtues of abalone: With its rich vitamin A, abalone is effective in improving eye vision. As it effectively restores the energy in a post-partum mother and includes high water content, it helps increase breastmilk production. The calorie of abalone, a low-fat and high-protein food, is only 50㎉ per 70g. As arginine, which is included in abalone, breaks down fats, abalone makes an excellent diet food.

How to prepare abalone for cooking: Use a soft brush to remove foreign matters from abalone. Insert a spoon inside the abalone shell to separate the flash from the shell. Abalone preparation is done by separating teeth and entrails as well. If an abalone is parboiled in boiling water for like 10 seconds before its shucking, it becomes easier to separate the flesh from the shell. Shucked and cleaned abalones are shrink-wrapped separately. And entrails are also stored separately. Shucked and cleaned abalones better be had right away, but if their long-time storage is necessary, they better be frozen.

Ingredients & quantities (for 4 servings)

1 cup of rice (22g), water 1.75ℓ, f abalones (450g), sesame oil 1 tbsp, 1 small green onion (10g), soy sauce

#Recipe

① Clean rice and soak it for 30 minutes.

② Drain the soaked rice with a strainer.

③ Shuck and clean abalones.

④ Take the flesh off the abalone shell and mince it.

⑤ Put sesame oil on a pot and stir-fry abalones in it.

⑥ Pour 7 cups of water and boil it on high fire.

⑦ When the water boils, reduce the fire to medium and add the soaked rice. While boiling it, stir it with a wooden spoon.

⑧ When the rice is done showing translucent and thick, move it to a bowl. Serve it with soy sauce.

Tips. Adding abalone entrails lets you enjoy the rich taste of abalone porridge. If you choose conch instead of abalone, you get conch porridge. When buying abalones, choose glossy and elastic ones.

①Wando Abalone Co., Ltd.의 A Wando Whole Abalone Porridge A Wando Whole Abalone Porridge from Wando Abalone Co., Ltd.

A Wando Whole Abalone Porridge is a product that includes a whole abalone. It is made at the factory of Wando Abalone Co., Ltd. which processes the abalone produced in Wando County. The package includes a microwavable bowl, laver powder sachet, sesame oil, and spoon to make sure that customers can conveniently enjoy the porridge anywhere. The product has been HACCP certified, too.

·Tel: +82 61-555-36001 ·Fax: +82 61-555-3610 ·www.wakoreaglobal.com

②The Frozen Abalone from Dashimachonbok

The abalones grew for 2 to 5 years while eating nutritious kelp. Healthy abalones alone are culled and shucked before they are quick-frozen at –60℃. he product spares customers the trouble of shucking and cleaning the abalone. the company has come under spotlight overseas, as demonstrated by his 300,000-dollar-worth export deal signed with a Singaporean company.

·Tel: +82 80-365-3388 ·Fax: +82 61-552-2234

·www.dashimachonbok.com/index.php?lang=en

③Rice Porridge with Abalone from Dongwon F&B

Sweet rice and abalones are boiled together to further enhance the unique, deep flavor of the porridge. As the porridge is packaged as cooked, customers can eat it right away. You can have it as your meal replacement, taking sufficient nutrition with it. You can choose to add sesame oil or stir-fried laver powder according to your taste.

·Tel: +82 2-589-3196 ·www.dongwonfnb.com/services/EN/index