Heuk Dwaeji Gui

Jeju Island has raised black pigs (heuk dwaeji) for over 1,000 years; the breed is documented in Goryeo-era records (10th–14th c.). Traditionally pigs were kept in dottongsi — combination pigsty-toilets — where they ate household waste, including human, which Jeju islanders claim concentrated the meat's flavor. The practice ended in the 20th century; the breed and the grilled-with-just-salt habit remained.

Jeju has raised black pigs for over 1,000 years — the breed shows up in Goryeo records (10th–14th c.). Intramuscular fat runs around 3% versus 1.5% for commercial breeds, which is why the local technique grills 1.5–2 cm cuts thick over coals with salt only — marinade would mask the breed's nuttiness.

Thick-cut Jeju black pork belly grilled over charcoal at the table, fat rendering until the edges crackle. Salt, sometimes garlic, nothing else — no marinade. You wrap a piece in lettuce or perilla leaf with raw garlic, green chili, a smear of ssamjang, and a grain or two of coarse salt. The pork tastes faintly nutty, almost like aged ham; that's the breed, not the seasoning.

Jeju black pork actually has LOWER intramuscular fat and lighter carcass weight than commercial breeds, but a denser, finer muscle fiber and more lean meat — which gives it a firm, chewy texture with little gaminess, and lets it tolerate high charcoal heat — which is why the local technique grills thick (1.5–2 cm) cuts directly over coals rather than thin-slicing for samgyeopsal. Marinades would mask the breed's nuttiness. The salt-only treatment is a flex, not a shortcut.