Jeon has changed in many ways over the years. Let’s take a look at the various forms of jeon. First, let’s look at the cooking method. One way to cook jeon is to use a batter made from salted flour and water. The batter is spread out like a pancake, then topped with the main ingredient before frying. This kind of jeon is known as buchimgae or jijim. There are many different types. Examples include kimchijeon (kimchi pancake), haemulpajeon (seafood and green onion pancake) and buchujeon (chive pancake). Jeon is cooked in a wide shape, so the edges that touch the pan become crispy while the inside stays moist to give the dish a variety of textures.
Another cooking method is to coat both sides of the main ingredient with wheat flour and rice flour. It is then dipped in beaten eggs and fried in oil. Jeon is made from flour, eggs and the main ingredient on top, but some forms of the dish are filled with things like perilla leaves, peppers or pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms. Jeon can also be stuffed with minced meat before being fried. This cooking method gives the dish a richer taste.
Now, let’s take a look at the ingredients in jeon. The main ingredient can be almost anything when it comes to jeon including meat, vegetables, fish or shellfish. However, the characteristic that makes jeon a traditional dish still consumed today is the subtle flavor of the main ingredient. For example, jeon topped with fish is made from white-fleshed, relatively low-fat varieties such as croaker, cod, pollack or flounder.
However, forms of jeon that utilize various ingredients that are not restricted by an existing selection criteria have recently appeared. An example of this is jeon made from corn or sweet potatoes that is more of a snack instead of a side dish or meal. There are also instances where new ingredients such as bacon or samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) are added to original jeon, such as pajeon. The shape of jeon is also diverse. For example, jeon made with pumpkin often contains pumpkin cut into leaf shapes instead of basic circles.
Jeon may come in various forms, but its charm can be defined in one sentence. “It’s simple, but has a rich in flavor.” There’s really no other type of Korean food like jeon that’s made without special ingredients. For those looking to enjoy the taste of the Korean holidays, try making jeon with a handful of flour, simple ingredients, eggs and oil.