The story
Kim Song-sun arrived in Sokcho among families displaced from the north during the Korean War. In Abai Village, many expected their stay to be temporary. She made a living buying fish through the fisheries cooperative and carrying it on her head to sell from early morning. What remained became sikhae, the fermented fish she knew from home. Neighbors shared it, word spread, and people began asking to buy it. The third-generation operator returned to Sokcho at 27 after working in performance planning in Seoul. The day after arriving, they built a website and began selling online, giving customers farther away a way to order the family's food. In 2015, Sokcho City recognized Kim Song-sun as a local specialty master in flounder sikhae.
What they stand for
The family makes its own sikhae and pollock roe products. For sikhae, fish is salted and washed before millet, chili, and other seasonings are added. Fermentation then develops the sourness and aroma that define it. Some customers are children of families displaced from the north, returning for a food they remember from home.
Behind the signature
Start with Ga-ja-mi Sik-hae, the shop's best-selling flounder product. The operator describes a process of cleaning, salting, washing, and seasoning, followed by roughly 15 to 30 days of maturation. Millet ferments alongside the fish. The resulting flavor is tangy, salty, and distinctly pungent, so tasting a little first is a useful way to decide whether it suits you.
Local tip
Taste the products you are interested in, then choose your tubs from the freezer and bring them in a basket to the staff for packing. The photographed product list offers 500g and 1kg sizes. Basic packing uses an ice pack with an insulated box or bag. Ask the staff about storage and transport for your onward journey.
For travelers
The operator recalls demonstrating and serving sikhae to around 20 European chefs at an event organized by a cultural foundation. Familiarity with foods such as anchovies gave the visitors a starting point for asking about fish fermentation. In-store tasting is advertised, but a regular interpreted workshop has not yet been launched. Show the Korean product name and the pack size you want when buying.
