"I consider myself an adventurous eater, but eating fish eyes has been just a step beyond what I am willing to try. I don't mind at all having the head with eyes served with the fish and I agree that the cheek meat is the best part of the fish. I just haven't been able to take the leap to eating the eyes. Do the eyes actually have an enjoyable flavor and texture, or are they primarily consumed to not be wasteful?"
Thank you for your question. Yes, it is mostly to consume every part of the fish. This means any fish large enough to have the eyes separated from the sockets. It is not a common occurrence, unless you order cod-head "tsim" or "dae-goo-muh-ri-tsim". Eyes do not have a pleasant taste, nor texture. The ones from mackerel or tuna turn hard with cooking, akin to hard cartilage. There was also an issue of bragging rights among children or siblings. Today's Korean children may even cringe at the thought. I can't think of any culinary tradition where eyes are considered a delicacy, but then again I have not yet encountered all the cuisines. As for small fish items such as anchovies, it is counter-productive to separate eyes from these microscopic fish. Therefore, most small to medium dry anchovies are sold and used as whole fish. So, are small fresh fish as in deep-frying. These crunch tempura-battered small fish are eaten whole as in most other cultures. In recent years with more discerning cooks, and consumers, large anchovies are more frequently used with its heads off & gutted. Many claim that the head & innards impart a bitter taste when one prepares anchovy broth. These trimmed anchovies are also used in spicy "myul-chi-tsim"
I cannot eat fish eyes. The thought that fish eyes might have been ground up into fishcake makes it impossible for me to eat fishcake. Now I know that there should be no problem eating fishcake. It is protein. But the mere possibility of the presence of fisheyes in the fishcake makes it impossible for me to eat it. I must say that when I have eaten fishcake, I actually enjoyed it. But I will no longer eat it. However, I must also state that I fully respect that if an animal gave up its life to be eaten, it should be eaten in its entirety. So I empathize with individuals who eat fish eyes from that perspective. Nonetheless, I cannot eat it myself. This just shows how food is a cultural issue. We are trained from childhood in eating habits.
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