Ever heard of Hobak-jang(호박장)? I’ve never seen a restaurant selling this.

Ever heard of Hobak-jang(호박장)? I've never seen a restaurant selling this.

This is called Hobak-jang(호박장). Some people in Korea call it Hobak-jjigae (호박찌개 – zucchini stew), but honestly, it’s a totally different thing. Hobak-jang uses Korean round squash instead of zucchini, and it’s not soupy like jjigae at all.

My mom used to make this for me all the time when I was a kid, but even as a Korean, I’ve literally never seen it in any restaurant. I think it’s more of a traditional, regional dish from where she lives.

The point is: no meat, just dried anchovies or dried shrimp for the base flavor. Then you chop the squash into big chunks and simmer it for a long time until it gets super soft. You can mash and mix this with cooked rice to eat, which I guess is why it’s called “-jang” — kind of like gochujang or ssamjang, where it acts more like a ‘sauce’ for rice.

Since I got married and moved out, I haven’t had it at all. Even when I follow my mom’s recipe exactly, it just… doesn’t taste the same. She’s always busy and lives far away, so I rarely get to see her.

Has anyone here in Korea actually had this before? Kinda funny, but most Koreans I meet only know pasta restaurants and have no clue about traditional Korean places :/

submitted by /u/Sea-Device-1802
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