Agujjim

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Agujjim

Korean name

Hangul	아구찜 / 아귀찜
Hanja	none
Revised Romanization	agu jjim / agwi jjim
McCune-Reischauer	aku tch'im / akwi tch'im

Agujjim or agwijjim (IPA: [aku tɕim] or [akwi tɕim]) is a variety of jjim or Korean steamed dish made with agwi (아귀, blackmouth angler) that originated in the city of Masan, South Gyeongsang Province.^[1] The dish is seasoned with chili pepper powder, doenjang, ganjang (soy sauce), minced garlic, and chopped scallions to make it spicy and hot.^[2] However, other ingredients such as mideodeok (미더덕, Styela clava), kongnamul (soybean sprouts), and minari (미나리, water dropwort) also play an important role in giving agujjim a refreshing and fragrant flavor.^[2]^[3]

In the traditional Masan agujjim, agwi dried for 15 days^[2] to 30 days is used^[3] and then marinated with seasonings, while other regions use fresh agwi after its internal organs have been taken out.^[3] Until the 1940s, the fish was not eaten and was frequently discarded due to its ugly appearance^[2] and low commercial value. However, as fish began to become more scarce in the late 20th century, the newly found delicacy became popular.^[2] The fish is an excellent source of protein and a has rich taste as well as a palatable chewy texture, helping its new popularity.^[1]

Fishermen asked cooks of seonsuljip (선술집 cheap tavern for drinking) to make suitable anju with agwi, so agujjim was created.^[4] Since then, agujjim has been considered a local specialty of Masan, especially around Odong-dong, one of the neighborhoods there and is favored by the public nationwide.^[5]

In addition, Seoul has two famous agujjim streets, in Sinsa-dong and the Jongno district. The dish is one of favorite jjim dishes that is eaten with a bowl of cooked rice.^[2] Agujjim is also a popular anju, or dishes associated with alcoholic beverages in South Korea and especially good with soju.^[1]