{"id":32391,"title":"Osam Bulgogi – Pork and Squid Bulgogi","modified":"2025-05-27T10:50:11+02:00","plain":"A delicious traditional Korean bulgogi recipe with pork and squid\n\n\n\nThe wok brushes against the flame and the room is immediately filled with the scent of the East Sea: already salted squid rings shrink next to ribbons of pork belly, all lacquered with a scarlet glaze that crackles and snaps like pine logs. A cloud of gochu-scented steam rises, lightly stinging the eyes and whetting the appetite.  \n\n\n\nThis is Osam Bulgogi, the dish that condenses the dual coastal and alpine identity of Gangwon-do into a single addictive bite. The elastic squid pops with saltiness, the pork belly follows with a creamy fat, and the sauce oscillates between sweetness and heat.  \n\n\n\nThis dish can be considered a cousin of the much-appreciated samgyeopsal\n\n\n\nIn this article, you'll trace its history born at a market stall, discover the truly essential ingredients, learn the high-heat dance that keeps the squid tender and the pork golden, then find ideas for serving or reinventing it at home. More broadly, it's an essential of Korean cuisine too often overlooked in our regions. \n\n\n\nRoots of Gangwon: when Market Ingenuity Forged a Classic\n\n\n\nWalk through the fish market of Gangneung in the late 1960s: you would sense the birth of Osam Bulgogi. At dawn, trawlers unloaded their shimmering catch, while farmers from the hinterland arrived with trays of pork belly, cheaper than luxury beef but just as delicious.  \n\n\n\nJeyuk bokkeum is also called pork bulgogi\n\n\n\nThe vendors, mindful of post-war frugality, combined the two proteins in the same fiery stir-fry and offered a hearty plate at a fraction of the price of beef bulgogi. In the frigid highlands of Daegwallyeong, where winter winds whipped cheeks, this reddish pan also served as central heating. \n\n\n\nThe name spells itself out: O for ojingeo (squid), Sam for samgyeopsal (pork belly) and bulgogi, literally \"fire meat\". In short, it's a bulgogi of pork and squid. \n\n\n\nThe locals quickly adopted it as the ideal anju, a drinking accompaniment capable of standing up to strong soju. Today, travelers queue along Hwenggye Osam Bulgogi Street, where aluminum foil-covered plates still crackle under mountains of reddish seafood and pork. \n\n\n\nThe Main Ingredients of Osam Bulgogi\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAuthenticity begins with texture. Fresh squid is cleaned until translucent; the mantle is cross-hatched regularly then cut into thin strips of 1 \u00d7 5 cm.  \n\n\n\nThese cuts allow the sauce to penetrate deeply and make the squid accordion into a supple chew when heated. The Gangwon pork belly, sliced just over half a centimeter thick, renders just enough fat to soften the squid's brine without becoming heavy grease. The vegetables remain modest: threads of onion, diagonally cut chives, two or three green chilies, supporting actors who know how to stay in the background.  \n\n\n\nThe sauce is non-negotiable: gochujang made with sun-dried taeyangcho chili for body, gochugaru for punch, soy sauce for saltiness, sugar for shine, minced garlic for bite, a drizzle of sesame oil for aroma and a dash of rice wine to soften any fishy notes. Purists stop there.  \n\n\n\nToday's cooks sometimes add oyster sauce, nuoc-m\u00e2m or a spoonful of plum extract for layered sweetness, but the goal remains the same: maekomhago dalkomhanssat, that lacquered balance of spicy sweetness that adheres to every groove of the squid and pork.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tOsam Bulgogi - Pork and Squid Bulgogi\n\t\t\n\t\tA delicious traditional Korean bulgogi recipe with pork and squid\t\n\t\n\t\tWok\t\n\t\n\t\tMain Ingredients250 g pork belly1 squid0.5 onion0.25 carrot2 hot green chilies1 red chili pepper1 stalk scallionsFor the Sauce2 tablespoons of gochujang2 tablespoons by gochugaru2 tablespoons dark soy sauce1.5 tablespoons of sugar1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)1 tablespoon shaoxing wine1 tablespoon sesame oil (toasted)0.5 tablespoon corn syrup (or honey)1 teaspoon of sesame seeds0.5 teaspoon of ginger (chopped)1 pinch pepper\t\n\t\n\t\tClean the squid thoroughly under running water after removing the entrails.Finely chop the onion and spring onions, cut the chilies diagonally, and slice the carrot into long flat strips.Prepare the sauce by mixing all ingredients well in a bowl, then let it rest for 30 minutes.Cut the pork belly and squid into bite-sized pieces.Mix them in a bowl with the onion, spring onions, carrot, and chilies.Add the sauce and coat all ingredients well, then marinate for 30 minutes.Stir-fry everything in a wok or large pan until the moisture evaporates.\t\n\t\n\t\tTo prevent the squid from becoming rubbery, stir-fry the vegetables and pork first, then add the marinated squid at the end for a quick cook. This is not mandatory but can help. \n\t\n\t\n\t\tMain courseKoreanGochujang, Huile de s\u00e9same, Ma\u00efzena, Poisson, Porc, Sauce soja dark, Vin shaoxing\t\n\n\n\n\n\nCulinary sources\n\n\n\n\nGangwon-do Local Encyclopedia (\u201c\ub514\uc9c0\ud138 \uac15\ub989\ubb38\ud654\ub300\uc804\u201d): definition, origin and ingredients of Osam Bulgogi\n\n\n\nDoosan Korean Encyclopedia (\ub450\uc0b0\ubc31\uacfc): lexicographical entry on the dish\n\n\n\nGangneung Cultural Archives: highlighting the traditional taste with \u201csun-dried\u201d chili paste (\ud0dc\uc591\ucd08)\n\n\n\nVisitKorea \u2013 \u201cHwenggye Osam Bulgogi Street\u201d: History and Charcoal Preparation Method\n\n\n\nThe Women Dong-A Magazine (Jan. 17, 2011): Authentic Recipe, Tips & Proportions\n\n\n\nKorean Wikipedia \u2013 \u201c\uc624\uc0bc\ubd88\uace0\uae30\u201d & Namuwiki: Techniques (Separate Marinade, High Heat Cooking)\n\n\n\nKimchimari \u2013 Osam Bulgogi Recipe: Modern Version, Serving Ideas\n\n\n\nChef Baek \u2013 10,000 Recipe Sheet: Contemporary Variations, Family Portions\n\n\n\nChef Kim's Recipe Blog \u2013 \u201c40 Years of Tradition\u201d: Original Oyster Sauce Marinade\n\n\n\nSeonkyoung Longest \u2013 Recipe & Video: Step-by-Step in English\n\n\n\nReddit r\/KoreanFood: User Feedback (2023-2024 Threads) on Authenticity and Cooking Tips\n\n\n\nFacebook \u2013 \u201cKorean Osam Bulgogi\u201d: Photos and Community Discussions\n\n\n\nManGaes Recipe \u2013 \u201c\uc624\uc0bc \ub5a1 \ubd88\uace0\uae30\u201d: Version with Tteok (Rice Cakes)\n\n\n\nNaver Blog \u2013 \u201c\uc544\uc774\ub4e4\uc774 \uc88b\uc544\ud558\ub294 \uc624\uc0bc\ubd88\uace0\uae30\u201d: Quick Method Without Excess Moisture\n\n\n\nLampCook \u2013 Sheet \u201cSpicy Squid & Pork Stir-Fry\u201d: Culinary Glossary","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}