Hiexpat Korea

Gopchang and pork skin are Korean’s favorite food especially because they go well with soju. South Korea is not the only place where they eat intestines of cow or pork and pork skin in the world. In fact, they are quite popular in some parts of the world. Tripe is pretty much equivalent to Gopchang, and different types of tripe dish exist in all parts of the world. Deep fried pork skin is called chicharron in Spanish, and it is common to see various types of deep fried pork skin dishes in many other countries such as Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, etc. Unlike the way it is prepared in other countries, Koreans like to eat them grilled on a hot skillet or a mini grill accompanied with leek and onion.

There are three different types of Gopchang: Sochang, daechang, and makchang. Sochang means small intestines, and daechang means large intestines. Makchang is abomasum, which is the fourth and final stomach area for cattle. For pork, it is the last part of intestine. I have tried it myself because I do like to be adventurous with food. But, just having to explain this made me want to gag a little. Don’t let me discourage me from trying because a lot of my friends do love them.

Pork skin

I am not really sure about other countries. But, in Korea, Gopchang and pork skin are famous for particular reasons. They are especially popular among Korean women for health and beauty purpose. For instance, it is known that pork skin is good for people who have dry skin because it is high in fat and collagen. Pork skin is also high in protein. Supposedly, intestines are high in iron and vitamins in comparison to regular meat, and intestines also strengthen your digestion system. Therefore, Koreans truly believe that they are perfect combos with soju.

 

Aside from the fact, that Koreans believe that it is high in nutrition; they say that the chewy texture of Gopchang and Pork skin is what they love the most. When I first gave it a try, I couldn’t chew it for the first few seconds. In fact, I was dreading it a little for a few seconds after I put it in my mouth because all I could think about was the shape of an animal’s raw stomach.  I just had to focus on chewing, and it was all over before I knew it. But, I have met a lot of foreigners who do love gopchang and pork skin. Do you feel like being adventurous today?

Food

Tags: chewy, chicharron, gopchang, instestines, korea, korean food, makchang, pork skin, sochang, south korea