Ganggyeong Jeotgal Market

Ganggyeong Jeotgal Market is a specialized salted seafood market naturally formed in the town of Ganggyeong-eup, Nonsan-si. It reached its peak prosperity in the 1930s, and geographically, it was a place where the Honam Line railway met the lower reaches of the Geumgang River, providing convenient transportation to both the West Sea and the inland. Therefore, trade in various marine products, centered on salted seafood, was active. Even after the water transport on the Geumgang ceased, this tradition continued, and it has now grown into the nation's largest salted seafood market, where a wide variety of jeotgal can be purchased at very affordable prices. Jeotgal is made by adding salt to the muscles or intestines of fish and shellfish and allowing it to naturally ferment and age. It contains minerals, protein, fish oil, and amino acids, and comes in various types such as salted shrimp, salted anchovies, anchovy fish sauce, salted clams, and salted yellow corvina. Ganggyeong jeotgal is made using traditional methods, so nutrients are well preserved, and it is properly aged and fermented to provide a savory taste. It is widely used as a subsidiary ingredient for kimchi or as a natural seasoning, and it is a food with good digestion and absorption and very high nutritional value. In particular, it is equipped with modern and scientific facilities, and fermentation takes place in low-temperature warehouses at around 10-15°C, with a fermentation period generally lasting about three months. Every year around October, the Ganggyeong Jeotgal Festival is held here.