Trout Festival

[Anchor Lead]

There’s a fish that’s said to be at its tastiest during the winter months. We’re talking about trout on today’s close up. Follow us to a trout festival underway in Pyeongchang, Gangwondo Province.

[Pkg]

On a frozen river, people are gathered around to catch trout. Trout is in season when the weather is at its coldest, like these days in Korea.

[Soundbite] "Go!"

People in short sleeves and pants are out to catch trout with their bare hands.

[Soundbite] "So cold..."

But the slippery fish are not an easy catch. A few people eventually do get to catch one or two.

[Soundbite] "I caught it."

This time, trying another method of ice fishing, anglers are gathered on Odaecheon Stream which is completely frozen. Artificial bait is hooked on the fishing line which is dropped into an ice hole to lure the trout.

[Soundbite] "Caught one, it's big!"

The fish, as big as a person's forearm, leap about vivaciously.

[Soundbite] "It's really cold. My nose is running and ears and hands are freezing. But I feel fantastic to make a catch."

Freshly caught trout can be eaten right away at the festival site. The crimson flesh can also be enjoyed raw as sushi. Roasted trout is also popular as the whole fish goes into a furnace for roasted tastiness. Trout is also known to be a health food.

[Soundbite] Prof. Jeong In-hak(Gangneung-Wonju Nat'l University) : "Trout is high in fat, especially omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids such as DHA. It therefore helps to prevent diseases of circulatory organs and also suppress aging."

Here's an even more special way to enjoy the winter fish. It's dumplings made with tofu and trout meat. Once the dumplings are made, they are not boiled or steamed. The best way to cook them is grilling on an oiled fry-pan. The pan-fried dumplings can be enjoyed with tomato or cream sauce. This trout dumpling was a menu item especially created with the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics next year in mind. Another delicacy only found in Pyeongchang is what's called trout gravlax. A powder mix of white pepper and coriander seeds is sprinkled over trout meat. It's then matured for 48 hours as is. Enjoy a plethora of dishes this winter using trout which is super tasty and highly nutritious.