Bajirakjuk (Clam Rice Porridge)
Bajirakjuk (Clam Rice Porridge) topped with toasted sesame seedsRice porridge made with rice water and short neck clams is Buan’s local signature food.
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LocationBuan-gun, Jeollabuk-do
- CategoryFolk Food ∙ Local Specialties
- Korean바지락죽
- Chinese-粥
- FieldLifestyle & Folklore / Lifestyle
- Contents TypeFood
- Definition
- A type of porridge made by boiling soaked rice and clams with rice water, a specialty of Buan-gun, Jeollabuk-do.
- Summary
- Bajirakjuk is made in the area of Buan, Jeollabuk-do according to the following recipe: stir-fry clams with sesame oil, add soaked rice and stir-fry them together, then pour rice water and bring to the boil. When the rice grains become soft, add chopped vegetables, and then continue to boil.
Buan clams are small seashells from the Venus clam family, Veneridae. They are variable in color and patterning, having either black radial patterns with a white background or yellow brown wave patterns. Shelled clams are usually served as fermented clams, raw clams or raw clam salad. Buan’s Bajirakjuk is made according to a unique recipe with high-quality, clean natural clams caught off the Byeonsan Peninsula (which are free from sediment), fresh vegetables, and quality rice from the Dongjin plain. It is Buan’s representative local dish, and is appreciated for the savory, clean taste of the fleshy clams.
- Origins and Development
- The Byeonsan Peninsula in Buan-gun, which boasts ninety-nine kilometers of unspoiled coastline, has been well known for its excellent clams ever since ancient times. It is surrounded by sea on all sides except the east, and has a vast rich tideland from which seashells are caught and used as ingredients for different dishes. In the twenty-first century, the local rice porridge has come to be regarded as a nutritious, simple meal made with clean tasty clams from Buan’s rich tideland. A more recent popular culinary creation is Bajirakjuk made with mulberry leaves, which is rich in various nutrients including amino acid, calcium, and iron. As this new dish has a savory taste and is rich in nutrients, it has earned a reputation as a functional local dish of Buan-gun, a clean town of silkworms, and attracts many tourists to Buan.
- Recipe
- Wash the rice cleanly, soak it in water for about 2 hours, then rinse and drain in a colander. Rinse out the clams gently with lightly salted water and drain in a colander. Chop the vegetables, such as zucchini, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms. Pour some sesame oil into a heated saucepan and stir-fry the chopped garlic and shelled clams. Add the soaked rice and stir-fry until the rice becomes transparent, then let it simmer over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the rice becomes soft, add the chopped vegetables and season with Korean-style soy sauce.
- Matters related to Lifestyle and Folklore
- Buan in Jeollabuk-do is known as the town of the Five Blessings (longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue, peaceful death). In 2019, the 7thBuan Masil Festival organized a clamcatching experience program and was visited by over 500,000 people from all over the country.
The Bajirakjuk restaurants in Buan include Byeonsan Myeongin Bajirakjuk, Kim In-gyeong Bajirakjuk, Byeonsan Oncheonsanjang, Bada Maeul Restaurant, Gyehwado Bajirakjuk, and Uleomma Bajirakjuk Kalguksu. The Byeonsan Peninsula is also packed with restaurants.
As clams are known to be effective in blood formation, preventing cholelithiasis, and especially protecting the liver, the clam soup is a popular hangover soup. In addition, thanks to its high mineral content, clams help regulate the metabolism, recover one’s strength after an illness, strengthen the teeth and bones, and replenish calcium in the body.