Boiled meat
보쌈 Bossam
Slices of boiled pork eaten wrapped in salted cabbage with kimchi, usually shared from a platter.
Spice: Mild
Bossam, jokbal & suyuk (boiled meat)
족발 Jokbal
Pigs' feet braised in a soy sauce broth, then sliced and shared on a platter, often with drinks.
- Braised Pigs' Feet
- Spice: Not spicy
- Contains pork
- Contains seafood
At a glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Pigs' feet, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger |
| How it's served | Sliced on a large platter, warm or at room temperature, with lettuce, salted shrimp and side dishes |
| Spice level | Not spicy — No chili heat. |
| Diet | Contains pork · Contains seafood — Pork is a standard ingredient. Fish, shellfish, fish sauce, salted seafood (jeotgal) or anchovy stock is a standard ingredient. |
| Allergens | Soy · Wheat · Crustacean shellfish · Sesame |
| Ask about | Dipping sauces vary; some places add a spicy sesame sauce or fish sauce. |
| On the menu | 족발 (Jokbal) |
| Also called | jok bal · pig trotters · pigs feet |
| Region | Nationwide |
Based on the usual recipe. Restaurants vary, so always tell the staff.
How to eat Braised Pigs' Feet
Try a slice on its own
Pick up a slice with chopsticks. The skin is chewy and the meat is soft.
Dip it lightly in salted shrimp
The small dish of salted shrimp (saeujeot) is very salty, so a little is enough.
Wrap it in lettuce
Put a slice on a lettuce leaf with garlic or ssamjang, then eat it in one bite.
How to order it
Order it as 족발. It is sold as a platter in small, medium or large, and even the small one usually feeds two or more people.
- On the menu: 족발
- Usually sold: 1 platter (small, medium or large)
Where it comes from
Joseon-era texts describe boiled pigs' feet, served as a soup or with a vinegar dip. Today's soy-braised jokbal is known to come from a braised pigs' feet dish of Hwanghae Province, now in North Korea. Refugees from the North who settled in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, during the Korean War opened jokbal shops to make a living. Shops later spread nationwide.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (encykorea.aks.ac.kr)
Similar dishes
Questions about Braised Pigs' Feet
Is jokbal vegetarian?
No. Pork is the main ingredient, and the salted shrimp served with it contains seafood.
How spicy is jokbal?
Not spicy. The standard version is braised in soy sauce and has no chili heat. Some shops also sell a separate spicy version.
Can you order jokbal for one person?
Yes, but even the small platter usually feeds two or more people.
- By Jason Kim (Bumsoo)
- Last reviewed October 10, 2026