Samgyeopsal: History, Cuts, and Table Grilling of Korean Pork Belly

Samgyeopsal or samgyeopsal-gui refers to grilled pork belly, a popular gui dish in Korean cuisine. Directly translated, samgyeop-sal means three layer flesh, describing striations of lean meat and fat in the pork belly. The cut comes from the abdomen beneath the loin, stretching from the 5th or 6th rib down to the hind limb. Samgyeopsal represents an unseasoned dry-heat grilling method rather than traditional Korean moist steaming or braising. The Oxford English Dictionary added Samgyeopsal in 1993, defining it as a Korean dish.

Historical naming and legal classification

The term segyeopsal first appeared in print in the 1931 revised edition of the cookbook Joseon Yori Jebeop. The word segyeopsal first appeared in news media in a Dong-A Ilbo article on November 3, 1934. The word samgyeopsal first appeared in media in a Kyunghyang Shinmun article on January 20, 1959. The designation samgyeopsal received official recognition under meat pricing regulations implemented in 1991, and the term became an entry in the Standard Korean Language Dictionary after 1994.

Table grilling customs and accompaniments

Thick pork belly slices are grilled at the table on a slanted metal griddle or gridiron over gas burners or charcoal. Diners grill the meat themselves, flipping and trimming slices with tongs and scissors to eat directly from the grill. The meat is traditionally neither marinated nor seasoned, cooked directly on the hot grill.

Slices of garlic, onions, chili peppers, mushrooms, and kimchi are grilled alongside using rendering pork fat. Grilled pork is placed on fresh or pickled leaves with ssamjang and rolled into a ssam wrap eaten in one mouthful. Common accompaniments include ssamjang and gireum-jang, a dipping sauce of sesame oil, salt, and black pepper.

Post-1978 domestic spread and modern cuts

In 1978, a halt on pork exports to Japan diverted high-quality pork into South Korea's domestic market, making unmarinated salt grilling viable. The commercial sale of portable butane gas stoves in 1980 helped samgyeopsal become a popular restaurant dining menu.

• Ogyeopsal: ogyeopsal includes the skin of the pork belly, whereas samgyeopsal has the skin removed; in the butchering industry, unskinned pork belly used for ogyeopsal is referred to as mibak or tangbak samgyeopsal.
• Daepae samgyeopsal: thinly shaved daepae samgyeopsal was invented in 1996, named after the woodworking plane tool.
• Beoljip samgyeopsal: during the 2000s, beoljip samgyeopsal emerged, named because scored meat cuts resembled a beehive.
• Jeju Black pig: from 2005, the popularity of Jeju Black pig meat and serving meat in traditional geun units influenced pork belly dining culture.
• Samgyeopsal Day: South Korea celebrates Samgyeopsal Day on March 3 due to the pork belly's three-layered composition.