Yukhoe

Yukhoe (육회, 肉膾) is a Korean dish made by finely julienning fresh lean beef, mixing it with seasonings, and eating it raw. Korea is effectively the only country in East Asia where the consumption of raw beef has survived as a distinct culinary genre. China and Japan have no corresponding tradition.

• Mongolian influence theory: According to the prevailing theory, meat consumption, which had declined in the Buddhist state of Goryeo, revived during the period of Yuan intervention in the late Goryeo era, and yukhoe originated from the raw-meat eating practices of equestrian peoples. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture follows this theory.

• Neo-Confucian acceptance: One interpretation holds that Joseon accepted raw food without aversion based on a passage in the Analects stating that Confucius enjoyed hoe (膾不厭細). In effect, Confucian society served as a shield for the culture of eating raw meat.

• Jibong Yuseol (1614): Yi Su-gwang wrote, "Chinese people were surprised to see Koreans eating raw meat." This provides evidence that a culture of eating raw meat was already established by the mid-Joseon period.

• Siuijeonseo (late 1800s): The section on hoe includes a recipe for yukhoe. Tender, lean meat is sliced, soaked in water to remove the blood, and finely julienned. It is then mixed with minced scallions and garlic, ground pepper, ground sesame seeds with salt, oil, and honey, and topped with pine nut powder. It is served with vinegared gochujang.

• Jinchan Uigwe: Gaphwe (甲膾), made with beef offal and other ingredients, appears in records of royal court banquets.

• Cuts: Beef round and eye of round. Lean hindquarter cuts with little fat and a fine grain are used.

• Seasoning: The basic components are sesame oil, soy sauce or salt, sugar or honey, and minced garlic. Julienned Asian pear, egg yolk, and pine nut powder are also added. Pear and egg yolk are modern additions that are absent from the original recipe in Siuijeonseo.

• Yuk-sashimi: The meat is thinly sliced without seasoning and dipped in an oil-based sauce.

• Mungtigi: A local dish of Daegu. Beef round slaughtered that same day is cut into thick chunks and eaten with an oil-based sauce made with sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper powder. Its defining distinction from yuk-sashimi is that it is served only on the day of slaughter.

• Steak tartare: A Western raw beef dish. The meat is minced and seasoned with acidic, pungent ingredients such as capers, onions, and mustard. In contrast, yukhoe is julienned and flavored with the nutty sweetness of sesame oil and pear. Both follow the convention of topping the dish with raw egg yolk.

Several restaurants specializing in yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) are clustered in an alley inside the food market at Gwangjang Market (광장시장) [Article], forming Yukhoe Alley (육회골목). Yukhoe Jamejip (육회자매집), which states that it was founded in 1974, is regarded as the original establishment, while Buchon Yukhoe (부촌육회) [Restaurant] has been listed in the Michelin Bib Gourmand since the 2017 edition. Jinju Yukhoe (진주육회) is a multi-location business that has expanded to four branches. A shared practice among the restaurants in the alley is to slice lean Hanwoo (한우) [Article] beef fresh each day.