Eel is a popular food across the four seasons, but it is most popular in summer because of its high protein content, which amounts to 67% of its total nutrition content. The fact that it is rich in protein also means that it is rich in amino acids like glutamic acid and aspartic acid, which give the eel its flavor.

Eel is also known to be low in calories despite its high protein content. Compare this to chicken, another high-protein foodstuff. Chickens have about 230 Kcal per 100g, while pike eel has about 170 Kcal at the same weight. That is 26% less.

Pike eels look more threatening than freshwater or conger eels. For instance, in Jasan eobo (Report on the Fish Species of Heuksan Island), written by late Joseon era scholar Jeong Yak-jeon, it is noted on pike eels that “its snout is long like that of a pig, and its teeth are uneven like those of a dog. Its robust teeth and bone allow it to bite onto humans.” The key part of this is “robust teeth.” Though conger eels, a sea-dwelling eel, also have teeth, their teeth cannot be compared to pike eels. The Korean name for pike eel, “gaetjangeo,” refers to the fierce fangs of dogs (“gae”). Its Japanese name, “hamo,” comes from “kamu” (かむ), meaning to bite. Indeed, a bite from a pike eel can cause injury, so you have to be careful.

Perhaps due to these characteristics, fishermen primarily catch mud eels using a method called “junak,” where a line is equipped with about 100 hooks baited with lures. This method takes advantage of the strong biting behavior of mud eels when they take the bait.

Pike eels are caught across the southern coast of Korea. Goheung in Jeollanam-do and Goseong in Gyeongsangnam-do are two regions famous for summer pike eels. Yeosu, located between the two regions, is also famous for its pike eels. Gyeongdo Island in Yeosu has more than 30 fishing ships specializing in eel fishing, and the sea near Gyeongdo Island (between Dolsando Island and Geumodo Island) is a known habitat for pike eel.

The island also has a number of restaurants specializing in pike eel dishes. Despite its small size, the island is located quite close to Gukdong Port, and there are multiple departures to and from the island from the early morning, which, coupled with the golf courses on the island, make the restaurants on the island quite popular. If you cannot visit Gyeongdo Island, you can head to the Yeosu Pike Eel (Hamo) Street under Dolsandaegyo Bridge.

Pike eels are most frequently enjoyed in the form of a shabu-shabu. To prepare the pike eels for shabu-shabu, the head and bones are removed, and the flesh is scored at about 5 mm intervals without cutting into the skin. The head and the bones are then made into a broth with vegetables. Dip the meat into the boiling broth to parboil the meat and enjoy.

Pike eels can be enjoyed after only about 10 seconds in boiling broth. Boiling the meat in hot broth contracts the gelatin structure in the skin due to the heat. At the same time, the flesh attached to the skin forms noticeable cuts, wrapping the meat into a flower-bud-like shape. Once cooked, you can put the meat on a raw onion slice and enjoy it as one. Onions go well with pike eel because their harvest coincides with the pike eels in season.

Another dish equally popular as gaetjangeo shabu-shabu is gaetjangeo hoe (sliced raw pike eel). As you chew on the gaetjangeo hoe, you feel the delectable buildup of savory flavors. Wrap the slices in vegetables or enjoy with salt or soy sauce to add even more flavor to the meat. Or, tag in one of Yeosu’s specialties, gatgimchi (leaf mustard kimchi), for a truly exquisite feast.