Jangheung Samhap
KoreaSouth Jeolla · JangheungJangheung Samhap: Korean Beef, Pen-Shell Scallop and Shiitake Grilled Together
Everyone in Jangheung will tell you to try samhap, Korean beef, pen-shell scallop and shiitake grilled together. Here is why all three ingredients belong to Jangheung, how the Saturday market's buy-your-own-beef system works and how to grill it well.
Mountain, Field and Sea on One Grill
Jangheung County in South Jeolla Province promotes itself as Jeongnamjin, "due-south port," because it lies directly south of Gwanghwamun in Seoul. Its signature dish is Jangheung samhap, also called hanwoo samhap: Korean beef raised on local farms, the adductor muscle of pen shells grown in the Deungnyangman Bay mudflats, and shiitake mushrooms cultivated on oak logs, all grilled together. The point of samhap is that all three ingredients are Jangheung specialties. Each is good on its own, but together the savory beef, the tender scallop and the chewy mushroom balance one another; people say the scallop and mushroom cut the richness you might feel eating beef alone. In effect, one grill holds Jangheung's mountains, fields and sea.
Hanwoo From a County With More Cattle Than People
Jangheung is a well-known hanwoo region. According to a 2024 report, the county has about 35,000 residents, while some 1,800 farms raise more than 58,000 cattle, so there are more cows than people. Italian ryegrass grown in local fields is used as feed, and the mild climate year-round is said to make for good cattle-raising conditions. The share of top-grade hanwoo is also said to be well above the national average. For samhap, people usually pick a grilling cut at the butcher and cook it without marinade, so the flavor of the meat itself comes through. That is why locals say that choosing good beef matters most when you eat samhap.
Deungnyangman Pen Shells and Jangheung Shiitake
The pen shell, kijogae in Korean, is a large clam more than a hand-span long that grows in the mudflats of Deungnyangman Bay off Jangheung. Samhap uses its adductor muscle, the part that opens and closes the shell, which is large, tender and sweet. In May a pen shell festival has been held in the pen shell village around Sumun Port in Anyang-myeon. Shiitake is Jangheung's other pride. The county is counted among Korea's top producers, though figures for its share vary widely: a 2004 report put it at about 12 percent, the most of any single area, while a 2024 report said nearly half. The history runs deep: the 15th-century geography section of the Annals of King Sejong records Jangheung shiitake being sent as tribute. Grilled in a little oil, shiitake releases a rich, nutty aroma and has a meaty chew, which makes it the bridge between beef and scallop in samhap.
The Saturday Market's "Chojangjip" System
Many will tell you that to eat samhap properly you should go to Jeongnamjin Jangheung Saturday Market on the Tamjingang River. In and around the market are nearly 30 butchers and butcher-restaurants. The way you eat is unusual. First you buy the cut and amount of beef you want at a butcher, then take it to a restaurant, pay a table-setting fee and grill it there. The scallop and shiitake are ordered separately at the restaurant. Because it resembles buying raw fish and eating it at a chojangjip, a restaurant that provides only the sauces and sides, it is often called the chojangjip system. As of a 2024 report, excluding the beef, scallop and shiitake for two cost about 15,000 won and the table fee was about 8,000 to 10,000 won. Prices vary by shop and season, so check before you sit down. Restaurants attached to a butcher are convenient because you can grill right after buying.
How to Grill It and What Else to Eat
Samhap tastes best when you grill a few pieces at a time and eat them right away rather than covering the grill all at once. The ingredients are fresh, so the trick is not to overcook them; the scallop in particular toughens if left too long, so take it off as soon as the surface changes color. Stack scallop and shiitake on a piece of grilled beef and eat it in one bite, or wrap it in lettuce with ssamjang. There are variations, too. Some versions swap the scallop for long-arm octopus (nakji) or webfoot octopus (jukkumi). Jangheung's other seafood favorites include grilled oysters, roasted in the shell from winter into early spring and pried open with gloves on, and maesaengi-tang, a soup of fine seaweed.