Abalone rice porridge is one of the most familiar dishes among Korean people. Despite its popularity, the authentic dish—made with abalone intestine, making it green and slightly bitter—is not easy to find. Korean porridge restaurants usually serve the white porridge lacking abalone intestine because the ingredient is easily perishable, requiring a location near the ocean for immediate cooking of fresh abalones.

Gijang-gun’s Yeonhwa-ri is well known for abalone in Busan. Walking along the blue seawall, you will see Yeonhwa-ri Women Diver Village, where black-roofed stalls are gathered. Let’s taste Yeonhwa-ri’s abalone rice porridge made with the freshly harvested abalone, a great meal to have with assorted fresh seafood.

You might think that rice porridge is not a full meal. However, if served with hearty seafood dishes, you will have a perfect table complete with a meal, side dishes, and drinks. The seafood includes conch and trumpet shells that give an excellent chewy texture, along with sea cucumbers, sea pineapple, and spoon worms that deliver the ocean’s rich flavor into your mouth. Try to have live octopus. Using sliced raw octopus may be awkward at first as you chew the wriggling wild octopus, but soon, you will taste its real flavor. The fresh and clean clams, as well as seaweed and hijiki, can be added to your bowl of abalone rice porridge.

Now is the time to taste abalone rice porridge served in a large cast-iron pot. Scoop it up, and make your mouth water with the savory smell. It is made with Gijang Ocean’s freshly harvested abalone with a healthy green color. Serve a ladleful of porridge into your bowl, combining the appetizing tenderness and softness of the abalone and rice. It’s good to have as it is or, if you like, put some sesame oil to double the flavor, filling your mouth with happiness.

The Gijang Ocean’s view is a gift that makes a morsel of the porridge and a bite of seafood even more delicious. Time flies while talking with your friends as you gaze at the exquisite Jukdo Island scenery surrounded by unique rock formation and the refreshing, wide coastal view of Gijang.

After a satisfying savory abalone and other delectable seafood, let’s head to the Gijang’s coast. You will pass by the unique lighthouses, such as the World Cup Lighthouse with a soccer ball in the middle, the Mazinger Z Lighthouse looking like MazingerZ’s head, and Daebyeon Lighthouse glowing in a shape of baseball and baseball bat. Walking along the soft coastal trail, you will meet steep cliffs and a peaceful beach connected to the deck path immersing your whole body in nature with the sound of each step. Gaze at the deep blue sea, breathe in its scent as well as that of abalone, savor the taste of abalone rice porridge with your mouth, and listen to the sound of gentle waves.