The Reason Why We love Korean Fish Cake!

WHAT IS IT? 

Korean Fish Cake or more commonly known as Eomuk 어묵 or Odeng  오뎅 is a dish of ground or minced fish filled mixed with vegetables, seasonings, eggs and flour.

Then shaped into small balls and deep-fried. This is a most everyday cooking ingredient and popular street food. Most Korean restaurants serve this as banchan.

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

WHY IS SO POPULAR?  

Everything began during the Japanese Colonial Period, there were many Japanese People occupying Busan, Mokpo and the South China Sea. Many factories were making the fish balls that Japanese people liked. Fish cake continued after the independence of Korea, which is why fish cake is the representative food in Busan. 

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

This dish became very popular after the Korean War, when the Korean people had an insufficiency in food, they only fed on vegetables , which led to a lack of proteins. To get them, they found a solution that was the fish cake.

Indeed, this dish is a source of proteins once it is minced and mixed with flour and it gives back some energy. 

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

Today, it is very popular because Korean Fish Cake will be healthy with high quality fish meat, not too much fillers and deep fried in clean oil. Then, it is very cheap, the price varies between 500-1000 KRW per stick. To please everyone,  you have the choice between spicy and not spicy. 

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

MADE KOREAN FISH CAKE  

Ingredients: 

• 2 fish cake sheets 
• 20 g onion 
• 20 g green bell pepper 
• 10 g yellow bell pepper 
• 10 g red belle pepper 
• Oil

Sauce: 

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce 
• 2 tsp honey 
• 1 tsp rice wine 
• ½ tsp minced garlic 
• 1 tsp sesame oil 
• 2 tsp gochujang (for spicy sauce) 

Instructions: 

1. Heat up a skillet or wok and once heated, add some cooking oil. 
2. Add all the vegetables and stir them until they are lightly wilted (about 1 min). Add the fish cake and stir it for about 2 minutes. 
3. Add your seasoning sauce and stir it quickly and evenly. Remove it from the heat. 
4. Serve 

(Source: My Korean Kitchen) 

3 OTHERS DIFFERENTS TYPES OF FISH CAKE RECIPE 

You can find Korean fish cake in different formats like in fish cake soup, as a snack or appetizer

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

WHERE CAN I BOUGHT KOREAN FISH CAKE ? 

You can get Korean fish cake from a Korean or Asian grocery store, on street food or in a Korean restaurant. 

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

KOREAN FISH CAKE IN K-DRAMA 

In many K-drama, Korean food and street food are celebrated. That’s also the case with the fishcake that can be found in these two famous K-Drama.

The first one is Boys Over Flower, where you find Lee Minho, or Gu Jun Pyo, eating a fish cake stick.

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

The second K-drama is Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, where the main actress also eats  fish cake sticks.  

(Image: Credits to the rightful owner)

So do you want to eat Korean fish cake ? 

Author: Mélina