A ship loaded with pollack roe is docked at Gamcheon Port in Busan. These are the pollack roe destined for Deokhwa Food. Pollock roe is a traditional Korean food. Deokhwa Food understands the pain and hardship of history embedded in the salty yet mild flavor of pollack roe. Founded in 1993, Deokhwa Food is based in Busan and continues to develop the taste of pollack roe while uncovering the history of Korean pollack roe. Opened by the late Chairman Jang Seok-jun, the first Master of the domestic seafood manufacturing sector, and now continued by his son, CEO Jang Jong-su, the 11th Master of Seafood, the pollack roe is a timeless story of the sea that has embraced the passage of time.

Deokhwa Foods began to take root when the founder and father, the late Chairman Jang Seok-jun, made Busan his second home and foundation with a passion for learning and a determination to succeed.

That is correct. My father was born in 1945. Children born that year are called "Liberation babies," and he was born as the eldest son of a poor family in a remote mountain village in North Gyeongsang Province. In today's terms, that would be roughly Cheongdo, just south of Daegu. He had to cross a mountain just to get to school. As Korea underwent rapid industrialization starting in the 1960s, the population began migrating from rural areas to cities, and I think he belonged to the very early generation of that movement. While many people moved to major cities like Seoul and Busan during that time, my father came down to Busan immediately after graduating from high school. He entered Busan National Fisheries College (now Pukyong National University) as part of the class of '65, and he told me that he saw fish properly for the first time there. It was a school renowned for its marine and fisheries sector, so much so that Kim Jae-chul, Chairman of the long-standing Dongwon Group, is also an alumnus. After specializing in manufacturing and processing there, the company he joined as a production manager and founding member was Samho Mulsan. It is an important enterprise that pioneered the history of Korea's marine and fisheries industry. It was a company specialized in the pollack business to the extent that it is said Samho Mulsan handled more than half of the pollack distributed domestically at the time. During the period of rapid economic growth, my father worked there continuously, rising through the ranks from factory manager to executive director and then to senior director. However, when Samho Mulsan went bankrupt, he acquired the seafood processing line in 1993, which is what is now Deokhwa Food.

Deokhwa Food, built by the late Chairman, mastered both Korean and Japanese low-salt pollack roe manufacturing methods, achieving the result of establishing itself in the 2010s as the best-selling pollack roe product in Japan and a price setter leading price determination in the Japanese pollack roe market. In what specific areas did you focus your efforts to achieve this feat?

My father has dedicated his entire life to being a production technician. First and foremost, he worked tirelessly to change the perception that pollack roe is salty and fishy. He eliminated the fishy odor by lowering the salt content from 8–12% to 4% and developing a three-day low-temperature aging method infused with clear sake. Traditional pollack roe has a salt content of 7–15%, so it does not spoil easily and has a relatively long shelf life; however, low-salt pollack roe is difficult to maintain freshness to the point of requiring freezing, and it has a shorter shelf life. Accordingly, he did his utmost to use the highest quality ingredients and minimize additives to preserve the unique flavor of the roe rather than the taste of the seasoning. My father also collaborated with Japanese technicians to develop a manufacturing method for pollack roe suited to the Japanese palate and even exported it. He produced high-quality products that met Japan's demanding requirements, and finally, the taste and quality of his roe were recognized. In 2009, he was selected as a supplier for Japan's private-label products, and they sold like hotcakes. At that time, 7-Eleven was a retail giant that controlled not only convenience stores but also large supermarkets and department stores throughout Japan. My father also personally custom-designed the conveyor belt needed for the mentaiko production process. That machine does not exist in Japan, nor in any other country.

I heard that you returned to Busan in 2006 at your father's call after living in Seoul. What kind of blueprint was Deokhwa Foods drawing up as a company in the 2000s?

Deokhwa Food's in-house factory was established on November 11, 2006. From my perspective, it seems my father was already thinking about the next step for Deokhwa Food at that time. Although we had achieved $10 million in exports around that period, he established our own factory for the first time, thinking that relying solely on exports to Japan might be too risky and that we should gradually develop the domestic market. A single-product pollack roe manufacturing plant spanning one basement level and three floors above ground is, in fact, unique both then and now. He needed someone to work hard with him back then, and I believe he called me because he thought his son would be the better fit.

I heard that since joining Deokhwa Food, you have made many new attempts that could be called 'branding'.

In November 2006, when the Deokhwa Food factory was completed and I moved in to look around, I noticed that our pollack roe products had no names. Since our business was primarily focused on exports, we only sold one or two types of products domestically, mainly consisting of gift wooden box products, and they didn't even have proper names. So, we started the so-called branding process by giving our products names. In that process, we naturally began to consider how to differentiate each product. Subsequently, we proceeded with changing the packaging design, launching a website, and renaming the company from 'Deokhwa Distribution' to 'Deokhwa Food.' The first product we created while carrying out this branding was 'Low-Salt Pollock Roe Crafted with Cheongju.' It was a product that attempted differentiation through low salt content and Cheongju.

What is the main process involved in making pollack roe?

First, the roe harvested from pollock caught on the boat is flash-frozen within one hour and transported to Gamcheon Port. Only the top 10% of quality roe is brought into the manufacturing plant, where it undergoes a primary curing process in which it is thawed, thoroughly mixed with seasoning sauce, and marinated. After this first curing, the roe takes on a light apricot hue; this product, in which the salt has properly permeated the raw material, is called 'Baek Myeongran' (White Roe). Subsequently, depending on the added ingredients, it is transformed into products of various flavors and appearances, such as 'Aged Pollack Roe' and 'Just Like That'.

Deokhwa Food's products are broadly categorized into 'Joseon Myeongran', 'Baek Myeongran', 'Aged Myeongran', and 'Myeongran Just Like That'. How are each of them different?

'Joseon Myeongran' is the original Korean pollack roe closest to the prototype of Korean-style roe, fermented using traditional methods. It is particularly distinguished by its refreshing salty taste. 'Baek Myeongran' is a type of Korean-style low-salt roe; because it does not contain red chili powder, its flavor is clean and not salty, making it a perfect match for sesame oil. 'Sukseonggo Myeongran' is also a Korean-style low-salt roe, made by seasoning it with red chili powder just like kimchi. It offers a deliciously spicy flavor. Finally, 'Geuttae Daero Myeongran' is a Japanese-style low-salt roe with the softest and mildest taste, produced using the mentaiko method. By marinating Baek Myeongran in bonito broth, sake, and mirin for three days, it is transformed into a soft and sweet roe with excellent umami.

It seems impossible to leave out the 'ladies' at the factory when discussing the quality of Deokhwa pollack roe. In particular, when do their roles truly shine?

I believe the skills of our female workers, including the ladies here, are outstanding on a global scale. Their manual dexterity, in particular, surpasses anyone else's. When their delicate hand skills are combined with their warm personalities and diligent attitudes, it is no wonder their productivity is so superior. Following the task of weighing the ingredients to a consistent standard, the step of trimming the pollack roe requires exceptional manual dexterity. Because pollack roe has such delicate and sensitive physical properties, the ladies work on it by hand, one by one. While the Japanese use knives, the ladies at Deokhwa Food use scissors. Although the difference between a knife and scissors may seem subtle, the shape and quality of the resulting product differ significantly. The Japanese are amazed when they see our processing techniques, where we cut with scissors and trim by hand. The ladies, who have worked here for an average of over 15 years, are seasoned professionals who have built long-standing friendships with my father. The longest-serving foreman has been with us for about 20 years.

I was surprised to learn that the history of pollack roe in Korea is deeper than in Japan. In fact, I hear that you are also devoting your efforts to compiling the history of Korea and Japan related to pollack roe, together with humanities scholars.

Korea is the birthplace of pollack roe. This food is steeped in pain. While we were losing pollack fishing grounds due to war, national division, and indiscriminate overfishing, pollack roe was introduced to Japan and became popularized there. I believed that the clues to continuing the historical legacy of pollack roe and developing it in a modern way must be found in the past. It was also deeply regrettable that our traditional food had lost its lineage at some point and became known as a Japanese dish. The earliest domestic documentary record regarding salted pollack roe appears in the *Seungjeongwon Ilgi* (Diary of the Royal Secretariat) from 1652, which includes a passage stating, "It is confusing that Gangwon Province sent pollack roe, not salted cod roe, as a tribute to the palace." This implies that pollack roe was already being utilized as a food ingredient in Joseon Korea. In Japan, pollack and pollack roe did not appear in literature until the late 19th century. However, aren't there currently no decent books or records regarding the history or culture of pollack roe in Korea? When I visited Japan in 2010, I came across a book titled *The History of the Development of Myeongtaejabalgae*. It translates to "The History of the Development of Myeongtaejabalgae in Japan," and after translating and reading it, I felt a sense of envy. That book also mentioned that the origins of Myeongtaejabalgae were in Joseon. I felt a sense of mission that we, too, needed to document the history and culture of Myeongtaejabalgae, a traditional food, and I believed that knowing Korea's history and manufacturing methods was fundamental to producing Myeongtaejabalgae products.

Busan has become the global center for pollack roe distribution since the modern era. I am curious to know what role Busan has played as a hub for pollack roe distribution.

Busan is a global hub for the pollock roe industry and a region with a very deep history. As an estuary where the Nakdong River meets the sea, Busan Port was a gathering place for pollock fishing boats from across the country, including those off the coast of Wonsan. It was a logistically vital hub where caught pollock and roe were transshipped to the capital area or inland regions. During the Japanese colonial period, pollock roe was loved by both Koreans and Japanese people; Busan served as the true first gateway connecting the Korean Peninsula and Japan, and was a hub for numerous companies and capital related to the roe industry. In the modern era, Busan's role has become even more important. Following the collapse of the East Sea pollock fishing grounds due to competitive overfishing between the North and South after the mid-1980s, pollock has officially disappeared from Korea. However, pollock caught in the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia—the world's largest pollock fishing ground—began to be shipped directly to Gamcheon Port in Busan starting from that time. This is because Busan is well-equipped with the infrastructure necessary for international trade, including cold storage facilities, logistics transportation, and business credibility. Furthermore, for Russia, which wanted to keep Japan—the largest buyer of pollack roe—in check, Busan served as an intermediary. Every year from March to May, Japanese pollack roe producers and trading companies visit Busan for quality inspections. Officials from not only Russian shipping companies but also American shipping companies gather in Busan, and during this time, various business transactions and technical exchanges take place.

Do you have any hopes for developing and producing pollack roe, a long-standing traditional Korean food enjoyed by modern people?

I hope more people realize that pollack roe is a food with a strong sense of Korean tradition. It is like an old friend to us. Just as Native Americans have salmon, we have pollack roe. It is my wish for Koreans to view pollack and pollack roe in that same light. As a food culture that was not fully preserved amidst the pain of the Japanese colonial period, war, and national division, pollack roe also conveys many historical messages to us. Deokhwa Foods aims to promote this history and tradition of pollack roe and to create products and content that highlight the unique regional identity of Busan.

How will Deokhwa Food and the status of pollack roe change in 10 years?

I believe that in 10 years, Deokhwa Food will have become the best in the world in terms of taste and technology—as the company that produces the most delicious pollack roe. Furthermore, I anticipate that Korean pollack roe will evolve in taste and form, becoming quite diverse in the future. Preserving traditional flavors and recipes could be one approach, or we could develop it in a future-oriented manner to align with the global era. Regardless of the approach, I believe that in 11 years, Korean pollack roe will be world-famous.

Maker's Pick

3 Long-loved Deokhwa Food Products

White pollack roe

This is one of the low-salt pollack roe products from the Korean Peninsula, cured with salt and aged for a light, savory flavor. Since it is not seasoned with red chili powder, the natural taste of the roe remains intact, making it suitable for use in various dishes. It is suitable for young children who cannot tolerate spicy food and pairs particularly well with sesame oil.

Aged pollack roe

Pollock roe is salted and then seasoned with a spicy yet deep and rich umami sauce. Carefully blended with concentrated fish sauce made from Jeju mackerel and horse mackerel, and three types of red chili powder, it offers a fresh taste and aroma, as if it were just taken out of a curing room. It tastes best when served directly over warm rice.

Pollock roe just as it was back then

This product is the only Master Craftsman of Korea in the seafood manufacturing sector and was designated as a representative product of Japan's Seven-Eleven, made using the recipe of the founder, the late Chairman Jang Seok-jun. It is a signature pollack roe that has dominated the Japanese market for seven years, featuring a soft and sweet taste achieved by marinating it for three days in domestic red chili powder, domestically produced bonito broth, sake, and cooking wine.