A layer of meat lightly battered and fried, carrots, and minced jalapeños filled the center of yet another squarely shaped kimbap we sought out on the island. There were no distinctive visual clues that betrayed that the meat used was horse meat. Hailing from a part of the world where the consumption of equine meat has been framed as taboo and associated with scandals, I initially felt a natural revulsion toward a normally comforting morsel of food.
Horse meat is certainly not widely consumed in Korea; it is a delicacy local to Jeju Island. Historically, the horse was valued as a military asset and a means of transportation rather than as a source of meat. When the Mongols invaded Koryeo in the 13th century, they found the conditions of Jeju Island favorable for hosting the expansion of their cavalry. Their influence served as the catalyst for the proliferation of the island’s equine population through the crossbreeding of Mongolian and indigenous horses. With the passage of time and the emergence of motor vehicles, however, the horse was gradually relieved of its essential role in transport and combat. Somewhere along the timeline, the inhabitants of the island had grown to appreciate its meat, which is leaner, but most comparable to beef.
To encourage people to overcome the prejudice with which they typically approach horse meat, the chef of Maliso had incorporated it into widely enjoyed comfort foods such as kimbap. The first bite of the Maliso kimbap had each of us looking forward to the next piece. Prepared with great care, the meat was tender and free of the gaminess I had anticipated.
We took a couple of boxes to go for our drive to Saebyul Oreum and finished the contents before we got there.
말이소 (Mal-i-so) @jeju.maliso 주소: 제주도 제주시 구좌읍 행원리 93번지 Address: 93 Haengwon-ri Gujwa-eup Jeju-si
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