Pajeon facts for kids
haemulpajeon, seafood scallion pancake
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| Type | Jeon |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Korea |
| Main ingredients | Batter (eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, scallions) |
| Pajeon | |
| Hangul |
파전
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|---|---|
| Hanja |
파煎
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| Revised Romanization | pajeon |
| McCune–Reischauer | p'ajǒn |
Pajeon is a super tasty Korean pancake! It's special because its main ingredient is scallions, also known as green onions. The word pa in Korean actually means scallion. Pajeon is made from a batter that includes eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, and of course, scallions.
Sometimes, other yummy ingredients are added too. These can be beef, pork, kimchi, or different kinds of seafood. If one of these ingredients, like squid, is the main star, the pancake might be called something like ojing'eo jeon, which means 'squid pancake'.
You can usually tell a Pajeon apart by how clearly you can see the long green scallions in it. It looks a bit like a Chinese scallion pancake. But Pajeon is different because it's made with a liquid batter. This makes it lighter and softer, a bit like the pancakes you might have for breakfast!
How to Make Pajeon
To make Pajeon, long pieces of scallions are placed side-by-side on a hot pan. First, you add some vegetable oil to the pan. Then, you pour a special batter over the scallions. This batter is made by mixing wheat flour, water, soybean paste, and a little sugar.
Once the bottom of the pancake is golden-brown and holds together, it's carefully flipped over. Pajeon is usually served with a dipping sauce. This sauce is often made from soy sauce.
Different Kinds of Pajeon
There are a few different kinds of Pajeon. Some types keep the scallions long and whole, like the famous Dongnae Pajeon. These are more like traditional jeon. Other types have the scallions cut up and mixed right into the batter. These are closer to another Korean pancake called buchimgae.
Seafood Pajeon
In Korea, a seafood Pajeon is called haemul pajeon. Haemul means seafood. This type of Pajeon includes different kinds of seafood mixed into the batter or placed on top. Some common seafood used are oysters, shrimp, squid, and clams. It's a popular choice for seafood lovers!
Dongnae Pajeon
Dongnae Pajeon gets its name from Dongnaesung. This was an old fortress during the Joseon Dynasty. Today, it's a district in the city of Busan, Korea. Dongnae was a very important battleground during the Imjin War. A legend says that the people of Dongnae threw scallions at the invading Japanese soldiers when they won the battle! Dongnae Pajeon was then made to celebrate this victory.
This special pancake was even served to the king! It became very popular when the Dongnae market grew busy during the Joseon era.
Dongnae Pajeon is usually made with a batter of rice flour, glutinous rice flour, and eggs. It also includes a bit of gochujang, which is a spicy Korean chili paste. Soft scallions are added, along with beef and various seafood like clams, mussels, oysters, and shrimp.
