What is jeon? If you frequent Korean restaurants often, you would see the dish pajeon instead of jeon on the menu. Jeon means pancake. Pajeon, on the other hand, implies scallion pancake as pa means scallion.
Jeon History
The word jeon (전) in Hangul means frying. Hence, jeon involves mixing the ingredients that are coated with eggs and flour and frying them in oil.
Jeon can be made with ingredients such as meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and seafood. It is a versatile dish and can be served as an appetiser, side dish (banchan) or even a snack for any occasions such as Anju (side dish with drinks). Hwajeon is a variety of jeon that are served as desserts.
The different types of jeon
You can make any pancakes. All you need to do is add your preferred ingredients to have a unique jeon. Listed below are some of the popular varieties of pancakes in Korea:
- Seogogi-jeon (beef pancake)
- Daegujeon (breaded cod fillets)
- Gochujeon (green chilli pepper pancake)
- Pajeon (scallion/green onion pancake)
- Kimchijeon (kimchi pancake)
- Wanja-jeon (meat and tofu patties)
- Hwajeon (pan-fried sweet rice cakes with edible flowers)
- Gamjajeon (potato pancake)
- Saeujeon (shrimp pancake)
- Haemuljeon (seafood pancake)
- Yachaejeon (vegetable pancake)
Korean restaurants often offer some of the more common pancakes such as kimchi jeon, yachaejeon and haemuljeon. Different jeon has different flavours that are sure to be mouthwatering!
A Taste of the Sea: Haemuljeon
Haemuljeon is a seafood pancake. As with its name, various seafood are chopped and added to a batter with some vegetables, then pan-fried with oil. Haemuljeon is relatively easy to make. Which makes it ideal as a snack, side dish and even finger food for guests. Haemuljeon is prevalent along the coasts of South Korea, where seafood is abundant on every dinner table.
Homemakers would wake up early at 5 or 6 am to get their groceries from the open-air market fresh from the farms and sea!
The freshest ingredients are always best to make haemuljeon. The different kinds of seafood put into the pancake varies according to preference. However, the seafood is usually chopped to bite-sizes so that it is easy to chew and the pancake can be fried quickly as a whole.
Some of the more commonly used seafood are shrimp, clam meat and squid. Vegetables such as onions, carrots or scallions can be added to give the pancake a refreshing taste. All these ingredients are chopped and placed into a batter made of flour, eggs, water and some seasonings of salt, pepper and fish sauce.
A Modern Twist
Cheese is a beloved ingredient that can be added to every meal. It adds a layer of flavour to a dish, providing some depth and texture. Not only that, cheese is an excellent addition to hold the pancake together.
There is nothing like having gooey cheesy haemuljeon that pulls like a pizza slice with cheese strands attached. Ooooh!
In previously mentioned batter, grated cheese can be added to it, and a spoonful of the mixed mixture can be placed into a frying pan to turn them into crispy golden brown on the outside. Alternatively, cheese slices can be added on top of a piping-hot haemuljeon which is also a great option!
Where to find Haemuljeon? Comfort food for all
Haemuljeon is easy to make, and the ingredients are easy to obtain. It is one of the best comfort foods to make! If you want it made and delivered to you, order them at restaurants like Chan Jang, Jeju Korean Restaurant and JangJang Korean Bar & Restaurant. Ask for a top-up of cheese if you are an avid cheese lover! Find more of Korean food on foodpanda!