What Is Hongeo Samhap? Korea’s Bold Fermented Skate Tradition

Fermented hongeo is one of Korea’s most distinctive foods. Its powerful aroma and sharp, nose-tingling sensation can surprise even Koreans who did not grow up eating it.

The experience becomes more balanced when the skate is served as hongeo samhap—a combination of fermented skate, boiled pork, and aged kimchi. Each component contributes something different, creating a dish that is far more complex than its famous smell might suggest.

AI-generated image created for K-Food Monster.

What Is Hongeo?

Hongeo, or 홍어, is the Korean word for skate, a flat cartilaginous fish related to rays.

Skate can be served fresh, seasoned, steamed, or fermented. However, when Koreans describe hongeo as a famously pungent food, they are usually referring to fermented skate.

Fermented hongeo is particularly associated with the cuisine of Jeolla-do, including Mokpo, Naju, and Heuksando. It is an important regional delicacy rather than an ordinary everyday food throughout Korea.

Why Does Fermented Hongeo Smell So Strong?

Skate has a biological characteristic that distinguishes it from most familiar fish. Its body retains urea, which helps regulate salt and water in its marine environment.

As the skate ferments, the urea breaks down and produces ammonia. This creates hongeo’s famously sharp aroma and the cooling, stinging sensation that can travel through the mouth and nose.

The aroma does not necessarily mean that properly prepared hongeo has spoiled. It is a natural result of the traditional fermentation process. The strength varies considerably depending on how long and how intensely the fish has been fermented.

What Is Hongeo Samhap?

The word samhap, or 삼합, means “three combined” or “three harmonies.”

Hongeo samhap consists of three principal foods:

• Fermented skate
• Suyuk, or boiled pork slices
• Mugeunji, or well-aged kimchi

The three ingredients are placed together and eaten in a single bite.

The fermented skate provides its unmistakable pungency and chewy texture. The pork contributes richness and a softer texture, while the aged kimchi adds acidity, spice, saltiness, and crunch.

Why Do the Three Foods Work Together?

Hongeo samhap is built around contrast and balance.

Fermented skate alone can be extremely intense. The richness of the boiled pork softens its sharp character, while the acidity of aged kimchi helps counter the alkaline ammonia created during fermentation.

The combination is still bold, but it is more rounded than eating a piece of strongly fermented skate by itself. This balance helps explain why samhap has become one of the best-known ways to experience hongeo.

How Do You Eat Hongeo Samhap?

Begin with a piece of aged kimchi. Place a slice of boiled pork and a smaller piece of fermented skate on top.

Some diners also add garlic, chili pepper, or a small amount of salted shrimp sauce. The entire combination is normally eaten in one bite so that all three flavors can be experienced together.

First-time diners may want to begin with a very small piece of mildly fermented skate. Eating it with generous portions of pork and kimchi can make the experience more approachable.

What Does Hongeo Samhap Taste Like?

The flavor depends heavily on the strength of the fermentation.

Mildly fermented hongeo can taste savory, slightly tangy, and pleasantly chewy. Stronger versions have a pronounced ammonia aroma and may create an intense cooling or stinging sensation in the nose.

Boiled pork adds a mellow, meaty richness. Aged kimchi contributes sourness, saltiness, spice, and fermentation of its own.

People who love hongeo often appreciate not only its flavor but also the physical sensation it creates. For others, its aroma remains challenging even after several attempts.

What Are Hongeo-Ae and Hongeo-Aetang?

Another delicacy associated with skate is hongeo-ae, or 홍어애. The word “ae” in this context refers to the skate’s liver.

Unlike the firm and pungent flesh, fresh hongeo liver is exceptionally soft, creamy, and rich. It is commonly served in small pieces and dipped in a simple mixture of sesame oil and salt.

Because each skate provides only a limited amount of liver, hongeo-ae may be treated as a special part of a complete hongeo meal. Its mild, buttery character offers a striking contrast to the fermented flesh.

Hongeo liver is also used to make hongeo-aetang, or skate liver soup. The liver and skate bones are cooked with vegetables and seasonings such as soybean paste, chili powder, and soy sauce.

Some regional versions include young barley greens and are known as bori-aeguk. Cooking allows the soft liver to blend into the broth, producing a rich and savory flavor that is generally less pungent than strongly fermented skate flesh.

Not every restaurant serves hongeo-ae or hongeo-aetang. Freshness and careful handling are particularly important when eating seafood organs.

Is Hongeo Always Fermented?

No. Hongeo refers to the fish itself, and not every hongeo dish is strongly fermented.

Fresh or lightly fermented skate may be sliced and served as hoe. It may also be seasoned with vegetables in a spicy, sweet-and-sour salad called hongeo-hoe-muchim.

Other preparations include steamed skate, skate soup, battered skate pancakes, fried skate, and dishes made with the liver or other parts of the fish.

Because fermentation levels differ, diners should ask whether a restaurant’s hongeo is mild, medium, or strongly fermented before ordering.

Why Is Hongeo Associated with Jeolla-do?

Hongeo has a particularly strong connection to southwestern Korea. Heuksando is famous for high-quality skate, while Mokpo and the Yeongsanpo area of Naju are widely known for fermented hongeo dishes.

Over time, hongeo became closely connected to regional celebrations, family gatherings, weddings, funerals, and ceremonial meals in parts of Jeolla-do.

For people from the region, its aroma may evoke family occasions and memories of home. Serving hongeo can also represent hospitality, regional identity, and respect for culinary tradition.

For newcomers, however, it can be one of the most challenging introductions to Korean food.

What Do Koreans Drink with Hongeo?

Hongeo is famously paired with makgeolli, Korea’s cloudy fermented rice drink.

The mildly sweet, creamy, and acidic character of makgeolli can soften the sharp sensation of fermented skate. The pairing of hongeo and makgeolli is sometimes called hongeotak, using “tak” from takju, another name for unfiltered rice wine.

Alcohol is optional, however. Hongeo samhap can also be enjoyed with rice and other Korean side dishes.

Hongeo in Korean Popular Culture

Hongeo plays an unexpected role in the Netflix Korean series Narco-Saints, known as Suriname in Korean.

The series was inspired by real events involving a Korean businessman who traveled to Suriname for a skate-export business and later assisted a South Korean intelligence operation.

In the dramatized story, the main character plans to purchase skate cheaply in Suriname and export it to Korea, where hongeo has an established market. His business soon draws him into a dangerous criminal investigation.

The real businessman reportedly did travel to Suriname for a skate business, but many characters, relationships, and events were fictionalized for the series.

Although Narco-Saints is a crime thriller rather than a food program, its unusual premise demonstrates the economic and cultural value that hongeo can have in Korea.

Is Hongeo Samhap Suitable for Beginners?

It can be, provided the beginner starts carefully.

Ask for mildly fermented hongeo rather than the strongest version. Begin with a small piece and eat it with plenty of boiled pork and aged kimchi.

Trying hongeo samhap with someone familiar with the dish can also help. An experienced diner can explain how to assemble each bite and identify the milder pieces.

People with seafood allergies or dietary restrictions should confirm all ingredients with the restaurant. Hongeo samhap contains seafood and pork, while sauces and accompanying dishes may contain additional allergens.

A Dish Built on Balance

Hongeo samhap is famous for its smell, but concentrating only on the aroma misses the point of the dish.

Its character comes from the interaction of three very different foods: pungent fermented skate, rich boiled pork, and acidic aged kimchi. The creamy delicacy of hongeo-ae, the warming richness of hongeo-aetang, and the traditional pairing with makgeolli add further dimensions to a complete hongeo meal.

It may never become an easy food for everyone, but it remains one of Korea’s clearest examples of how fermentation, regional identity, and carefully balanced flavors can transform a challenging ingredient into a celebrated delicacy.