Street food

When travelling to a country, trying their street food must be in your check list. In Korea, you can find street stalls selling street food at many locations and there are some popular street foods I can recommend you to have a try.

Introducing Korean Street Food

1. Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes)

Korean used to have spicy food in their daily life and Tteokbokki is rice cake cooked with sweet and chilli paste (gochujang), it is a common street food in Korea. The sweet and chilli paste gives the chewy rice cakes filled with mouth watering spicy flavour and it usually served with fish cakes and boiled eggs. If you like spicy, you must try Tteokbokki.
Cost: ₩2500-4000 (£1.40-2.25) per plate

 

2. Gyerangbang (Egg bread )

This is a unique street food in Korea, it made with fresh egg on top of a sweeten bread base, it taste a bit sweet and salty. Some vendors also add bacon or cheese on top of the egg adding an extra flavour.
Cost: ₩2000 (£1.12)

 

3. Odeng (Fish cakes)

Fish cakes are the cheapest street foods in Korea. They are skewered on a stick and boiled in broth and the broth is free with any order, you can also refill the broth, which is the best way to enjoy it in wintertime.
Cost: ₩500 (£0.28) per stick

 

4. Fish bread (Bungeoppang)

It is a dessert all kids and adults like to eat in Korea. The fish shaped cake taste like waffle and usually filled with sweet red bean paste, sometimes filled with custard, cream or sweet potato, each street vender provide different flavours.
Cost: ₩2000 (£1.12) per 5

 

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Traditional market

Gwangjang Tradition Market

Visiting Korean traditional market is the best way to experience Korean’s real life and meeting local people. There are 15 traditional markets in Korea (Kim, 2015) but I am not going to introduce all of them, as I’ve been to Gwangjang traditional market, I will use this market as example to show you all what you may expect when visiting Korea traditional markets.

Gwangjang Market is the first market in Korea and it is the most popular markets in Seoul. It provides all of items that you need from food, dried goods, fruits and vegetable, seaweed, salted paste, souvenir, clothes to traditional Hangbok (Korean traditional costume) (Inseoul, 2015)

Exploring Gwangjang Traditional Market

When you get into Gwangjang market, you can see a line of food vendors all the way through the market pathways where you can taste as much unique Korean food as you want. As there are countless foods you can try, I recommend you visit with an empty stomach if you decide to visit Korean traditional markets. The popular foods at Gwangjang market include:

1. Bindaetteok (Korean style pancake) 

Bindaetteok is made from mung beans, pork or beef, and vegetables, these pancakes are hot and crispy outside but soft and moisture inside.
Cost: ₩4,000-5,000 (£2.25- £2.82) per pancake

 

2. Gimbap (Korean style sushi)

The gimbap at Gwangjang market called “Mayak (drug) gimbap”, as these convenient bite sized Korean sushi rolled with pickled radish, carrot, spinach with a light sesame oil on top of the seaweed rolls and comes with an addictive dipping sauce made from mustard and soy sauce, these unique flavour makes people cannot stop eating just like a drug.
Cost: ₩2500 per serving (£1.40)

 

3. Bibimbap (Korean stirred rice)

Bibimbap is popular in Korea, it is served in a bowl of rice and topped with fresh seasoned vegetables and sweet chili paste (not very spicy). You just have to stirred and enjoy it.
Cost: ₩3000 (£1.70)

*Note: Vegetables may vary at each food vendors.

4. Kalguksu (knife cut noodles)

All Kalguksu are handmade at Gwangjang market, served with rich broth, top with seaweed, spring onions and sesame seeds, as the noodles are handmade, it gives a soft and chewy texture. Although each food vendors have different ingredient but they all taste good!!
Cost: ₩5000 (£2.82)

*All food at Gwangjang market are good and in a reasonable price, where you can try local Korean food as much as you can.*

Click here to view other traditional markets

 

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Food you must try in Korea

1. Korean Fried Chicken

Unlike KFC, Korean fried chicken has boneless option, the chicken is much more tender and there are different sauce and flavour to choose from include spicy honey sauces with sesame seeds, spring onions, garlic, peanuts and chilli flakes and all fried chicken are served with pickle radish to reduce greasiness. Also, you can order fried chicken delivery to your accommodation at 24 hours.

 

2. Korean Barbeque

You must put Korean barbecue into your list! Koreans usually go to Korean barbeque for gathering with friends and family. Korean barbeque usually have meats include pork belly, pork skin, short rib, beef, beef tongue, squid, prawns and more and usually all vegetables are refillable. It usually involved a grill set into the table where you can grill the meats and vegetables on your own, staff will also help you to grill and cut the meat if you request. The way how Korean usually eats is holding a few vegetables on one hand, dip the meat in sauces, put it on top of the vegetables, add raw garlic, onion, green chilli, roll them up and put in the mouth with one bite. Of course, there is no wrong way to eat Korean barbecue, you can eat it in your own way and add whatever you like.

 

3. Soju (Korean style vodka)

Soju is the best selling alcohol in Korea (Miller, 2013), similar to vodka, Soju can gives a massive hangovers. If you are not an alcoholic, there is a new type easy to drink sweetened Soju in various fruity flavours such as citron, grapefruit, rose, pomegranate, blueberry and peach.

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