Gomso Sea Salt
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LocationJinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryFolk Food ∙ Local Specialties
- Korean곰소 천일염
- Chinese-天日鹽
- FieldPolitics, Economy and Society / Economy & Industry
- Contents TypeSpecialty
- Definition
- Salt produced at Gomso Bay, Jinseo-myeon, Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
- Summary
- Gomso Sea Salt is a high-quality brand of sundried salt that is affectionately known as “white snowflakes of the clean Western Sea.” The salt is made by evaporating and drying seawater, which is rich in minerals, beneath the heat of the sun. As its salinity is maintained at about 24 %, Gomso Sea Salt contains various beneficial substances of the sea. Furthermore, as it contains almost no magnesium chloride content or brine content, the salt lends a different taste to salted cabbages when making kimchi or to fermented seafood.
- Origins and Development
- Gomso Sea Salt is produced at the Gomso Salt Field in Gomso Bay, which is situated between Buan-gun and Gochang-gun in Jeollabuk-do. According to the Geography Section of the Annals of King Sejong, the Gomso salt field has been producing sun-dried salt since the Joseon Dynasty. The sun-dried salt produced at the Gomso field was transported to the capital via Noryangjin Dock and Maponaru Dock in Seoul. In 1942, during the Japanese colonial era, the Gomso area was reclaimed due to the construction of an embankment, resulting in the creation of a vast salt field in the northern area, for which a license was obtained in 1946.
- Production Method and Characteristics
- Gomso Sea Salt is composed of thick, semi-transparent, hexagonal salt crystals that are produced by evaporating seawater and removing any harmful ingredients directly in the wind and sunlight without any additional processing. The production season usually begins in late March or early April and continues through the peak season of May to June right up until October. It is sold under the brand name of “Gomso Sea Salt”. The vast stretch of land reclaimed from the West Sea is regarded as an optimal site for producing sun-dried salt thanks to its favorable topography, soil, and climate. In particular, as Julpo Bay is surrounded by mountains and has no inflow from a large river, and there are no factories in the area, the tideland and seawater are uncontaminated, which means that Gomso Sea Salt is made with clean and nutritious seawater. Therefore, although it is not to be compared with jayeom (salt made by boiling down seawater), Gomso Sea Salt is a high-quality, non-bitter salt that is appreciated for its fine texture and high mineral content. When it is used to make kimchi, soy sauce, or soybean paste (doenjang), harmful ingredients disappear during the fermentation process.
- Current Status including Relevant Industry
- The annual production volume of Gomso Sea Salt amounts ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 bags (20kg/bag). Along with the salt field (897km2), the area is also home to the Gomso Fermented Seafood Production Complex.
As of 2010, the annual sales of Gomso fermented seafood products exceeded KRW 140 billion. In 2019, four fermented seafood producers in Gomso, Jinseo-myeon, Jeollabuk-do were ultimately designated as “traditional master food companies” after a strict screening by the Korea Intangible Cultural Art Association (KICAA), which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. The Gomso Jeotgal Fermentation Festival is held to promote Gomso’s fermented seafood products made with Gomso Sea Salt in mid-October every year. Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do is also carrying out a project to register Gomso Sea Salt, which has a long tradition and is a high-quality product, as a National Important Fishing Heritage and Master Product, along with Gomso fermented seafood.