Top 10 Must-Try Dishes When Visiting Jeju Island - South Korea

In a recent survey, grilled sausages (sundae) were voted the most iconic street food of South Korea. Originally from the mainland, this dish has been slightly adapted on Jeju Island, with sticky rice replacing the usual ingredients, reducing the fat content, and adding some spring onions. The sausages are steamed to preserve their sweetness, giving them a chewy texture that’s both fragrant and nutty, making them much less greasy than traditional versions. As a result, you might find yourself devouring an entire plate without getting tired of the taste. Similar to Vietnam, when you order a plate of pork sausage, it includes various other cuts like pig’s ears, cheeks, and liver. The local way to enjoy it is to skewer the pieces with a toothpick or stick.

This dish can be found at the Bo Soeng market near Jeju International Airport, so you can dive straight into this delicious treat right after your flight.

This unique treat can be found after a hike up Seogsan Peak. The Smoky Snack is essentially a nitrogen-infused puffed treat, similar to popcorn. To create this snack, crispy crackers or traditional chips are mixed with colorful, flavored ingredients like blueberries, chocolate, and strawberries. The key ingredient, however, is liquid nitrogen, which gives the snack its signature cold, tingly sensation on the tongue and causes it to emit smoke as you bite into it. The taste is similar to regular puffed snacks, but the experience is enhanced as you exhale two streams of smoke, almost like breathing through two chimneys. For just 5,000 won, you can enjoy the sensation of making smoke with each bite.

These are two of Jeju's top noodle dishes. The pork noodle soup is made with broth from Jeju’s famous black pigs, giving it a slightly cloudy appearance, with thin slices of pork evenly distributed. The other dish is a clear broth made from anchovies, with a delicate and harmonious combination of seaweed. Both dishes are topped with green onions and a hint of chili pepper – two ingredients that are almost essential in any Korean dish.

This dish holds a special place on the list. Beyond its unique flavors, it's a chance to enjoy a true Jeju family meal: at the center of the table, there’s always grilled fish, a symbol of the island; a pot of simmered eggs; and thinly sliced boiled pork (which, despite its name, is simply boiled pork served on a wooden board and paired with a Korean shrimp paste). There are also several types of kimchi, a fresh salad, and, of course, a bowl of seaweed soup for each person. A simple, delicious meal that perfectly captures the essence of Jeju’s cuisine.

This dish is served from a small stall along the walking path to Jusangjeolli, a unique tourist spot formed by volcanic lava. Surrounded by the sea, you can be sure of the freshness of the Jeju squid, and you might even see them swimming lively in their tanks. The squid is carefully cleaned and cut into two parts: the tentacles and the body. The vendor dips the squid in a prepared seasoning sauce, coats it with Korean soy sauce, and grills it until golden brown, turning it several times. Once done, the tentacles are cut into small pieces and placed in a paper cup, while the body is skewered on a bamboo stick. For Vietnamese visitors, it will evoke memories of street food—quickly handed over by the vendor, ready to eat on the spot. The squid here is the thick-bodied variety, with firm and chewy meat, and the tentacles provide a wonderful crunch. Topped with finely chopped dried onions, it’s a perfect treat. The price is reasonable by Korean standards: 5,000 won for a cup of tentacles and 8,000 won for a grilled squid skewer.

What could be better than enjoying grilled squid followed by a refreshing mango sauce ice cream? It’s almost intentional that the ice cream stall is placed right across from the squid stand, leading to a constant stream of customers hopping between the two. The rich, spicy flavor of the soy sauce-grilled squid is perfectly balanced by the cool creaminess of the ice cream and the sweet-tart mango sauce that leaves a lingering taste on your tongue. Many people even claim that the ice cream helps clear the heaviness, allowing them to head back for more squid skewers, creating an endless cycle of culinary delight.

Price: 4,000 won per cup

Unlike other regions in the country, the people of Jeju island raise a unique breed of black pigs. The grilled pork from these pigs is exceptionally tender, sweet, and the fat doesn't feel greasy or overwhelming. The pork skin is thin, so when cooked, the skin is left on for you to enjoy. In fact, Koreans believe that once you’ve tasted grilled black pork, all other cuts of regular pork such as belly, ribs, or neck (mokssal) feel... quite ordinary. Because it’s so much better, it also comes at a higher price, with a typical serving for one person ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 won.