Imagine entering a seafood market where you do not have to choose a dish from a menu. Instead, you pick your still alive seafood and a nearby restaurant cooks it for you. This is what makes Jagalchi Market in Busan, South Korea, such an interesting place to visit.
Known as the country's largest fish market, Jagalchi is filled with tanks of live seafood, fresh fish and busy stalls. An Indian travel content creator recently visited the famous market and shared how the unusual food experience works.
Visitors can walk around the market, choose the seafood they want and place it in a basket. The selected seafood is then taken to a restaurant on the upper floor, where it is prepared and served fresh. So, instead of simply buying seafood to take home, visitors choose exactly what they want and eat it within minutes.
On Instagram, the creator said, “This place could be a nightmare for vegetarians. This is Busan, South Korea's famous seafood market and restaurant culture. At first glance, this place looks pretty normal, but the reality is completely different. There's no menu here. You directly decide what you want to eat and you choose it from live seafood.”
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“As soon as we enter the market, we see live tanks filled with fresh fish and all kinds of creatures that you may have never seen in your life. Whatever you like, you simply choose it and put it in a basket. Now comes the real twist. The seafood you choose in the basket is taken to a nearby restaurant, where it is freshly cooked and served to you on the spot.”
“You decide what you want to eat at the market, and within just a few minutes, that very thing is on your plate. If you're ever coming to Korea, make sure you don't miss this place.”
According to Visit Korea, Jagalchi Market became known as a fish market after the Korean War. It was established after Korea became independent from Japanese rule in 1945.
Most of the sellers are women, often called Jagalchi Ajumeoni, a word commonly used for a middle aged or married woman.
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Women can be seen selling mackerel, sea squirts and other seafood from wooden boxes in the roads and near the shore.