Beopseongpo Gulbi

Gulbi is yellow croaker packed in coarse salt and then hung in the open to dry in the sea wind, and Beopseongpo has done it since the Goryeo period - the port sat on the route the croaker took up the west coast in spring, and the dried fish went to the court as tribute. The traditional grade, boribbeolgulbi, is buried in barley before drying, which is said to draw out moisture and mellow the salt. Racks of fish hanging in rows outside the processing houses are the image of the town. Two things a visitor should know. The croaker stocks off this coast collapsed with overfishing, so much of what is processed here now is imported and the genuinely local, properly aged product is expensive - very expensive at the top grades, and sold as a gift item. And the eating is simple: grilled, with rice, as the centre of a set meal in the restaurants along the quay.

What to look for

• The drying racks - rows of salted croaker in the sea wind.
• The barley method - the traditional grade buried before drying.
• The processing houses - the working end of the quay.
• The set meals - grilled gulbi with rice and side dishes.

When to go

April to June, when the drying season is in full swing and the racks are full. Restaurants serve year round.

Good to know

Much of the fish is now imported - local stocks collapsed. Genuine aged gulbi is a luxury gift item priced accordingly, and cheaper fish sold under the name is not the same thing. The set meals are salty by design.

Nearby

Baekjaebulgyo-choejeonnaeji temple and the Yeonggwang coast are close.