South Korea is popular for their various fresh seafood. Korean are good at eating seafood. They enjoy it almost on daily basis. If you are also seafood lover, might as well visiting Seoul, precisely Noryangjin, the indoor seafood market in Korea. Noryangjin Fish Market is considered to be the biggest indoor seafood market. You can buy fresh seafood or let the chef prepare them for you. This is a paradise for foodies since you can hunt various seafood dishes fresh from the ocean.
The interesting points of Noryangjin Fish Market
This place is open 24 hours everyday. There is no holiday for this market so you can visit this place literally anytime. This indoor seafood market has gone through some modernization projects. Currently, the structure of Noryangjin Fish Market consists of eight floors. It houses hundreds of shops. You don’t have to bother remembering the name of the shops since some of them don’t have any. Just enjoy your adventure in this indoor market and find your favorite seafood.
Seafood volume
There are many interesting facts of this fish market you can learn during your visit. For example, this market alone manages 50% of metropolitan seafood volumes. Around 300 tons marine products are traded on daily basis in this market. The seafood come from various ports around the country. All seafood are fresh and you can get them in cheap price.
Aside from hunting foods, you can also join the excitement of the market. One of the most interesting time is during the auction. To do this, you should come to the market very early. The auctions usually starts at 1 a.m. if you just want to watch the auction, it is fine too. You can see how the locals proceed the auction. It is truly similar to the any other auctions. The marine products are being displayed while the participants bidding.
Cooked straight out of the tank
Another interesting time when visiting Noryangjin is during food hunting. You can pick the seafood yourself right out the tank. They will prepare you them for you once you made your pick. You can ask the fishmongers to clean seafood you buy so you can just cook them yourself. Or, you can also visit nearby restaurants that cook fresh seafood directly purchased from the market. It is not the fanciest experience but it is fun and exciting. Not to mention that the foods taste extra delicious this way.
Also read:
One of the reasons why Noryangjin is very popular in South Korea is because of the much lower prices of marine products being traded. The price can fall 20-30% below the larger retailers. You should bargain if you want to get seafood in particularly cheap price. Do not get intimidated by the sellers who hold sharp knives. They are not as scary as they look with the knives. They are friendly. It is highly recommended to bring a friend who can speak Korean. However, feeling the buzz of the market yourself will make such a memorable experience.