As autumn approaches, the southern and western coasts churn with silvery gizzard shad. Gizzard shad is a migratory species in the herring family. Its optimal habitat temperature is 14–27 degrees, and during its spawning season from April to July it prefers water at 14–22.5 degrees.
To protect adult fish and juveniles during this period, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries sets a closed season for gizzard shad every year from May 1 to July 15 (except Gangwon and North Gyeongsang). After the ban is lifted in mid-July, the flesh starts to fatten, and by September to October, when the cold wind blows, the fat content peaks. This is the season of the so-called "autumn gizzard shad."
How did gizzard shad get its name? Jeong Yak-jeon wrote in "Jasan Eobo" that, regarding gizzard shad, he used the character jeon (箭), meaning arrow, to record "jeoneo (箭魚)" because its shape resembles an arrow. On its characteristics, he wrote, "The body is tall and narrow. Its color is bluish-black, it is rich in fat, and the taste is sweet and deep. Although it is occasionally found in Heuksan, those near the mainland are better."
By contrast, late Joseon Silhak scholar Seo Yu-gu wrote in "Imwon Gyeongjeji" that people in Hanyang buy it eagerly without haggling over the price, recording it as "jeoneo (錢魚)" using the character jeon (錢) for money. Seo wrote about gizzard shad, "It has many fine bones in the flesh, but they are soft and do not catch in the throat, and when chewed it is oily and tasty. Because it tastes good, buyers do not consider the price."
Among fish, gizzard shad is especially known for its grilling aroma. The proverb "Even a daughter-in-law who left home returns at the smell of grilling gizzard shad" exists for a reason. The particularly strong aroma when grilling gizzard shad comes from its body fat content. In autumn, gizzard shad stores up fat to survive the winter. When this fat (including the unsaturated fatty acids DHA and EPA) meets fire, it oxidizes to create volatile aromatic compounds such as aldehydes and ketones. This is the core of the smell we perceive as "nutty and savory."
In particular, unlike mackerel and other fish, gizzard shad is often grilled whole without slitting the belly. As a result, umami compounds in the entrails (glutamic acid and nucleotide series) cook together and mingle with the aroma. This is why its grilled scent feels more complex and intense than that of other cleaned fish.
It offers not only aroma and taste but also rich nutrition. Gizzard shad is high in unsaturated fatty acids and has more than twice the calcium of milk, making it a representative autumn health food for bone health. In late summer, when the bones are still soft, it is commonly served as sekkochi, thinly sliced with the bones; in autumn, when the bones toughen and the fish fattens, it is usually grilled to a golden brown. It is also widely enjoyed as spicy mixed sashimi, salted fish, and chestnut jeot.
In Korea, gizzard shad is caught evenly along the southern and western coasts. Representative producing areas include Samcheonpo in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang; Myeongji in Busan; Deukryang Bay in Boseong and Maryang in Gangjin, South Jeolla; Gamak Bay in Yeosu; Mandeok Port in Gwangyang Bay; and Seosan and Boryeong in South Chungcheong.
In Samcheonpo, you can taste autumn gizzard shad earlier than in other regions. Because it can be enjoyed as early as August, still summer, locals even call it "summer gizzard shad." The gizzard shad festival that signals the start of the season runs from on the 20th to on the 23rd at the Pexpo food specialty district in Sacheon.
Samcheonpo, which faces Jinhae Bay, has fishing grounds that span multiple waters. As a seafood distribution hub since the past, Samcheonpo gathers gizzard shad from various southern coast fishing grounds. From Tongyeong, Namhae, and Goseong to fish caught off Dumido and Yokjido, they stream in, making it a collection center for southern coast gizzard shad. Locals regard Daepo-dong as the "original gizzard shad village."
Starting with the Samcheonpo Port wild gizzard shad festival, gizzard shad festivals are held across the country. In Seocheon, South Chungcheong, and Jinwol-myeon, Gwangyang, they run until on the 6th of next month, and in Myeongji, Busan, they run from on the 8th to on the 10th of next month.