The eggs so addictive authorities want to change their name
The dish: Mayak Gyeran, South Korea
Plate up There’s an awkward quality to the name of this dish and some controversy. Because what sounds like a perfectly normal moniker to those of us who don’t speak Korean, actually means “drug eggs”, as in, eggs so addictive, they’re like drugs. We’ll get to the story behind that later. What we’ll explain now, however, is what these eggs do to earn their nickname. Here’s the deal: to make mayak gyeran, you begin by boiling eggs for about six minutes ensuring the yolks are still jammy.
The eggs are peeled and then marinated in soy sauce, water, spring onion, garlic, chilli, sesame seeds, sugar and vinegar. After six hours or so they are ready to be placed atop a steaming bowl of rice and garnished with more spring onions and seaweed. This dish is filling, packed with umami and very easy to make. Addiction is inevitable.
First serve Asian cultures have eaten soy-marinated eggs for centuries. The idea probably originated in China, though the Japanese have ajitama, the soy-marinated eggs used for ramen, and there are versions from both Taiwan and Vietnam (which uses fish sauce for the marinade).
Koreans have been marinating eggs in soy for a long time, too, typically served as banchan, or small side dishes. However, in the last decade or so Korean cooks have begun adding aromatics and spices, and the name mayak gyeran was coined and popularised by social media stars. The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has advised the reference to illicit drugs be dropped, though it has thus far been unsuccessful.
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Order there Though this is a popular dish to make at home, in Seoul you can sample mayak gyeran at Gwangjang Market.
Order here Mayak gyeran is tricky to find at Korean restaurants in Australia, as it’s such a classic for home cooks. Our advice: do the same. It’s a simple recipe that is also delicious.
One more thing A parallel to “mayak gyeran” in Western culture might be anything described as “crack” (sauce, for example), meaning, as addictive as crack cocaine. However, there has been an understandable move away from this.
Ben Groundwater is a Sydney-based travel writer, columnist, broadcaster, author and occasional tour guide with more than 25 years’ experience in media, and a lifetime of experience traversing the globe. He specialises in food and wine – writing about it, as well as consuming it – and at any given moment in time Ben is probably thinking about either ramen in Tokyo, pintxos in San Sebastian, or carbonara in Rome. Follow him on Instagram @bengroundwaterConnect via email.