Welcome to your K-local food trip. Let’s head to Jeju for our next K-local food trip highlight—"Heukdwaeji," the island’s prized black pork often called its "black gem."

Because Jeju is an island, it was hard for people to travel to and from the mainland in the past. During the Joseon Dynasty, a 200-year travel ban made the island even more isolated, and that led to the development of a culture unique to Jeju.

Since they couldn’t build large boats, people in Jeju turned to farming and raising livestock instead of fishing. Among livestock, pigs were especially hard to raise because their diet was similar to what humans ate. But black pigs were strong and could grow well even on weeds, so they became more popular than white pigs. Because they were raised in hard and isolated conditions, black pigs were special to Jeju island people. People only ate black pork on holidays or special occasions. Today, black pork is one of Jeju’s most famous foods. There are even streets full of restaurants that serve only black pork.

Compared to regular pork, Jeju’s black pork is known for its chewy texture and rich, juicy flavor. Popular dishes include grilled black pork and "dombe gogi," which is boiled and sliced pork served on wooden plates. There’s also pork noodle soup made with rich black pork broth. Another special dish is "Jeopjjakppyeoguk," a thick soup made with black pork bones and buckwheat flour which is something you can only find in Jeju.

Imagine listening to the sound of Jeju’s waves while enjoying black pork in so many delicious ways.