Dried anchovies are sold in plastic bags or boxes, sorted by size.
Smaller anchovies (mareun janmyeolchi 마른 잔멸치) are used in stir-fries and toasted whole with soy sauce and chili paste to serve, bones and all, as a side dish with rice or as a snack. Large anchovies (gukmulyong mareunmyeolchi 국물용 마른멸치), around 3½ inches long, are used to flavor soups and stews.
Store in a zipper-lock bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 year. Before using larger anchovies, remove the heads and guts (the black innards).
Personally I like to eat the larger dried anchovies by themselves (after removing the heads and intestines, or course : )). I dip them in hot pepper paste and eat them with rice. Very delicious! The tiny bones of myeolchi contain a lot of calcium and are really good for you.
Medium dried anchovies on the top shelf, and large anchovies on the lower shelf
Large dried anchovies
Which to get? I suggest my second book, Maangchi's Big Book of Korean Cooking because it has the most recipes, but my first book has recipes for all the essential Korean pastes and sauces!
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Hi Maangchi!
Is it ever an issue for anchovies to become damp or soggy while you store them in the freezer? What can you do when this happens?
Thank you if you respond! :)
Hi Maangchi,
I bought Myeolchi Garu for making the anchovy soup base you make with dried anchovies, kelp, etc. Does it work? If so, how do I use it? Do you know the ratio by chance?
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Hello Maangchi! Do dried anchovies go bad when stored properly inside the freezer? I have some that are about 10 months old and I’m not sure if I should already throw them away.
If they still look good, they should be ok.
hello maangchi
can i use anchovies powder for tteokbokki instead of dried anchovies? if yes how much powder for 7 anchovies?
Hi Maangchi! What could I do to replace the dried anchovies in this recipe? Unfortunately, there are no Korean stores in my area, and due to regulations, few Amazon vendors ship here. Dangnabbit! Do you think I might get a similar taste out of tinned anchovies, or perhaps a combination of fish sauce + fish stock cube?
I love this recipe, it’s got everything you could possibly want – potatoes and onions and fermented veggies, and a good, tasty stock! Fishy bits or no fishy bits, I’m really looking forwards to trying this to keep the cold out this autumn. :)
Hi Maangchi! Are dried anchovies salty?
Just a little.
Hi Maangchi – I love your website and your cookbook, but I have had an impossible time finding dried anchovies. I finally found some in a Korean shop I just discovered in the nearby city (hooray!), and was excited to prepare them. But when I got home to my book and your website, they seem to be “the wrong size”, because all the recipes are for either the little ones (tiny little things) or the big soup ones, which are much bigger in the pictures, but mine are a little over an inch long, the middle-size. How should I use them? I can take their heads off, but when I try to remove their guts they just break into pieces, because they are very dry. What do you do with medium-sized dried anchovies? Maybe it’s best to use them for soup? Should I soak them forst so I can get the guts out? Thank you so much for your help, and for everything you teach us :-)
Hi Maangchi, I would like to know If I can use pre packed anchovy stock bag, approximately 10g, would this be sufficient to use in any stock recipe, or will it need more flavour?
Thank-you Maangchi!
I’ve never used one of those bags, but you can probably use it. I’m not sure how much to use. Try it and let me know how it turns out!
I will have to give it a try :) I am very excited because I am going to my first proper Korean Grocery store in Sydney when I go on holiday!
Hi
Do dried anchovies be cooked or heated before eating them as a snack?
is it safe to eat them without cooking and what nutrients do they have when eaten this way?