A Winter Food Journey Along the Chungnam Coast

Winter is when the West Sea coast tastes its best. Blue crab leads the way, followed by cockles and oysters, and the fish whose flesh has firmed up in the cold wind is sweeter than at any other time. This is a winter food journey along the West Sea coast, taken alongside the cold wind — all the more precious because it can only be enjoyed in this season. It's a food journey along the West Sea coast held within Hongseong and Boryeong, Chungcheongnam-do. Great food is a given; a look at the winter sea is the bonus. This trip can be enjoyed from around December, when the cold wind starts to blow, until spring arrives.

Along the way

1. 1
   Hongseong Namdang Port

   홍성 남당항

   Bustling with the Prawn Festival in autumn and the Cockle Festival in winter, Hongseong Namdang Port draws many visitors thanks to festivals that represent the West Sea. Being close to the greater Seoul area, it lets visitors enjoy the sea breeze along with local delicacies, so people keep coming back once they've visited. From when the cold wind begins to blow until spring arrives, you can eat your fill of cockles here. Cockle shabu-shabu — lightly blanched in boiling seafood broth and dipped in chogochujang (vinegared chili paste) — can be finished off with kalguksu noodles or porridge, making it a hearty, healthy meal loved by many. The drive from Cheonsuman Tidal Embankment past Gungni Port to Namdang Port is also worth taking.MoreLess

   

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2. 2
   Boryeong Cheonbuk Oyster Village

   보령 천북굴단지

   Along with Tongyeong in Gyeongsangnam-do, Cheonbuk-myeon in Boryeong is famous as an oyster-producing area, and this is its oyster village. About a 10-minute drive south from Hongseong Namdang Port, mentioned earlier, brings you to Cheonbuk Oyster Village. As winter deepens, the village fills with people eager for grilled oysters, and you can eat your fill of oyster dishes at low prices. From basic grilled oysters to steamed oysters and raw oyster salad (gulhoe), you can try it all in one visit, which is why food lovers never forget to stop by. After trying grilled oysters, you can round out the meal with oyster rice or oyster kalguksu noodles.MoreLess

   

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3. 3
   Daecheon Port

   대천항

   Just a stone's throw from Daecheon Beach, where the lively Mud Festival takes place every summer, Daecheon Port is not only known for West Sea coast delicacies but is also where passenger ferries depart for islands within Boryeong, such as Wonsando, Oeyeondo, Sapsido, and Nokdo. If you arrive at Daecheon Port with time to spare, you can visit a nearby island, then come back and buy raw fish at the seafood market before heading up to a second-floor restaurant to eat it. Many visitors come especially during blue crab season on the West Sea. With a bit of good bargaining, you can enjoy your fill of fresh blue crab at a reasonable price. It's also fun to browse and pick out a wide variety of seafood in person.MoreLess

   

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4. 4

   Muchangpo

   무창포

   Muchangpo is relatively quiet compared to Boryeong's other coastal areas. Visitors who can't find lodging at Daecheon Beach during the Mud Festival often head here instead. Its quiet, serene coastline is beautiful. Every month, the sea also parts to reveal a 'mysterious sea road,' so checking the schedule ahead of time lets you enjoy a far richer trip. Nearby are clusters of affordable, clean lodgings and restaurants serving grilled shellfish and live-fish sashimi.MoreLess

   

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