Exporter wants bite out of Korean monkfish market

South Korea imports 19,000 tonnes of monkfish a year. Photo / Supplied

An Auckland businessman is hoping to turn the nightmarish monkfish into New Zealand's next big seafood export to South Korea.

The bottom-dwelling deepsea fish, which usually retails for under $10 a kg whole here, is considered a delicacy in South Korea.

Kenny Jeong, director of export company NZ Blue Trading, says he will export five tonnes of monkfish to Seoul next week to "test the market".

Annually, Seoul imports 19,000 tonnes of monkfish, worth more than $75 million, most of which come from China, the United States and Brazil.

Until the 1940s, the monkfish was considered too ugly to be eaten in Korea, but a challenge to local fishermen in the city of Masan to create a tasty dish from the fish changed its fate.

Now, there are thousands of restaurants specialising in the dish agujjim, or braised spicy monkfish, which sells for between $50 and $90 a serving.

In the capital, Seoul, there are "agujjim streets" in Sinsa-dong and the Jongno district where locals and visitors go for the local favourite.

"I don't know why monkfish is not very popular among Kiwis, maybe many here also feel it is too ugly to eat, but it means we have more to export," said Mr Jeong.

"The monkfish has a very rich taste and is said to be an excellent protein source, which is why the Koreans love it."

His only concern is that the species harvested in New Zealand waters has a less chewy texture than the ones from China or the United States which the South Koreans are used to.

"But," said Mr Jeong, "if they like the taste of the New Zealand monkfish, then we will have hit a goldmine."

New Zealand accounts for just 0.6 per cent of South Korea's seafood imports.