Jeju Island: Raw Shellfish at Women Divers Beach
Right below the Sunrise Peak there is a small black sand beach and a tiny restaurant where a group of women divers show their traditional art once a day and prepare insane raw fresh delicacies. The tradition of women diving for shellfish goes back hundreds of years here. Just having taken a look at what was on offer I knew I had to try it – everything was fresh and moving – abalone, whelks, and something romantically called “sea squirts”. I chose all of them and a couple abalone as bonus (everything together was just about $15, while in Japan a single abalone will run you over $30). Cut and cleaned and sliced right in front of you, then simple served with seaweed and garlic cloves. Easily a top-10 gastronomic experience of my life!
