Buzz
Street food represents the distinctive cultural beauty of each nation. It not only showcases the lifestyle and people but also serves as a feast with a myriad of delicious dishes. Strolling through the streets of the Land of Kimchi, you'll marvel at beautiful scenes, breathe in the fresh, crisp air, and indulge in a variety of tempting dishes that define Korean street food.
According to The New York Times, Korean street food is one of the important distinctive features that promote the national culture and attract millions of tourists to visit the Land of Kimchi every year.
15 Must-Try Street Foods When Visiting South Korea
What makes Korean street food culture so famous? From appearance to flavor, the diverse and rich street foods evoke a unique sensation, showcasing the distinctive tradition of the Land of Kimchi.
Spicy Rice Cake Tteokbokki
When it comes to Korean street food, tteokbokki is often the first dish mentioned. The soft and chewy rice cakes cooked with fish cakes, onions, carrots, immersed in the characteristic sweet and spicy sauce are incredibly enticing.
Tteokbokki, the Spicy Rice Cake, a Signature Street Food of South Korea
You can easily spot tteokbokki stalls along the streets in South Korea, which can be considered an icon of Korean street food. Tteokbokki tastes best when hot, savored amidst the chilly winter with its hot and spicy rice cakes.
Kimbap Rice Rolls
Kimbap is a widely popular Korean dish, readily available in any restaurant in the Land of Kimchi. Due to its convenience in consumption, Kimbap rice rolls also stand out on the map of Korean street foods.
Kimbap Rice Rolls Widely Popular in Street-side Eateries
Rolling rice with a variety of fillings from vegetables to meat and eggs has created a delicious and nutritious dish. Among them, Mayak kimbap is the most popular because of its smaller size, suitable for diners to enjoy more dishes.
Sotteok Sotteok
If you ask what's simple yet delicious in Korean street food, the answer is Sotteok Sotteok. It's a favorite among the youth in the Land of Kimchi. The name is a fusion of sausage and rice cake. Sotteok typically skewers sausage and rice cake on a wooden stick, grilling it until crispy, then adding a bit of sweet and fragrant sauce, making it extremely tempting.
Irresistible Skewered Sausage Rice Cakes
Sotteok Sotteok once caused a sensation in South Korea, with both adults and children mesmerized by the taste of this dish. At first glance, it may seem simple, but the combination of sausage and rice cake is truly tantalizing, especially when paired with sauce, creating a mouthwatering Korean street food.
Hotteok
This is a popular Korean street food, especially in winter. These cakes are beautifully round, crispy and golden on both sides, with an enticing aroma. Each filling brings different characteristic flavors. If you like sweetness, choose red bean filling; if you prefer something creamy, opt for savory cheese; and if you want to try the traditional flavor loved by Koreans, go for the nutty, fragrant cinnamon filling.
Fried hotteok served in a paper cup for convenient on-the-go enjoyment
To make your Korean street food food-tour even more exciting, try stopping by the carts along the street and watch the vendors skillfully shape and fry the pancakes until they're crispy on both sides. Holding the piping hot pancake in your hand while blowing on it and taking a bite is the best way to fully appreciate the deliciousness of this Korean street food.
Twisted potato fries
For street food enthusiasts in Korea, this unique twisted potato fry cannot be missed. Resembling a 'twister,' the thinly sliced potato is spiraled onto a stick and deep-fried to crispy perfection. After frying, it's coated with cheese and honey to enhance the flavor. The deliciousness of this simple dish is sure to surprise you, just like its eye-catching appearance.
Eye-catching twisted potato sticks
Potato hotdog
The combination of hotdog and fried potato creates a unique and familiar fried sausage with potato coating. The diced potatoes are thinly sliced and then coated in the crispy batter of the fried hotdog, resulting in a very new and distinctive flavor. This unique dish has enriched the Korean street food culture even more.
Delicious mouth-watering potato-covered hotdog
With every crispy bite, you'll taste the deliciousness of the sausage, sometimes the creamy richness of melted cheese strands, blending with the slightly chewy and crispy exterior and soft interior of the potato, creating a truly special combination. This hotdog dish gets even better with a sprinkle of sugar, so if you don't mind a hint of sweetness, be sure to try it with sugar.
Grilled Dakkochi Chicken Skewers
Dakkochi is also a famous dish in Korean street food. These incredibly enticing chicken skewers are made from the tenderest chicken thigh pieces, skewered with green onions and coated with sauce for even marination on both sides before being grilled over charcoal. Grilling these skewered chicken pieces slightly charred adds an extra aroma and flavor; the juicy and succulent meat is sure to please even the most discerning palate.
Tender chicken skewers marinated in sauce, grilled to perfection
Soondae Sausage
When it comes to Korean street food, Soondae is a must-try. This is a Korean sausage, different from the sausage in Vietnam, as the filling of soondae consists of pork intestines and glass noodles. However, its soft and moist texture along with its unique flavor still makes soondae a favorite dish in the Land of Kimchi.
The pork sausage is always steamed hot to preserve its deliciousness
Eomuk Fish Cake
If you're a fan of Korean dramas, you're probably familiar with the sight of bustling fish cake stalls. This dish is prepared simply by simmering fish cakes on skewers in a sweet broth, and when served, it's often topped with a bit of sauce to balance the flavors.
Korean fish cakes are uniquely chewy and delicious
Korean fish cakes are notably chewier and more flavorful than other types. If you want to taste the best fish cake skewers, head to Busan, the most famous coastal city in Korea for fish cakes. The delicious flavor will surely leave a lasting impression on you.
Dalgona Candy
This is the famous sugar candy of Korean street food. Sugar is melted until it turns into a tempting caramel brown color, then baking soda is added to create a fluffy effect. Dalgona itself doesn't have a particularly unique flavor, but the process of making it is a standout attraction that draws many people to watch, contributing to the uniqueness of Korean street food culture.
These candies are crafted into cute shapes
Egg Bread Gyeran Bbang
The traditional egg bread gyeran bbang carries the distinctive flavor of eggs and is a favorite Korean street food for all ages. Flour and eggs are baked until they expand to twice their size, and even when eaten plain, the eggy taste makes this bread irresistible. Nowadays, egg bread is often topped with various toppings like cheese or ham to further enrich the flavor.
Steaming hot egg cakes enveloped in smoke
On chilly winter days, holding a steaming hot egg cake emitting wisps of smoke is nothing short of wonderful. The soft, smooth crust and the rich, creamy egg filling melting in your mouth will surely leave a lasting impression on every traveler.
Fish-shaped Bread Buneo Bbang
When it comes to Korean street food, one cannot forget Korean fish-shaped bread, also known as Buneo Bbang, a combination of flour and various fillings like red bean, green tea, cheese, and more. These crispy baked cakes, filled with butter, molded in the shape of a fish, are incredibly eye-catching and attract every traveler to give them a try.
A traditional Korean fish-shaped cake
In Korean street food, this is perhaps the favorite snack of children, once tried, you'll be hooked on its flavor right away. In the chilly weather of Korea, enjoying a freshly baked fish-shaped cake will make you feel the sweet warmth amidst the winter.
Jeon Pancakes
This is a popular snack in Korea. Depending on the accompanying filling, this pancake dish takes on a new appearance and flavor. Kimchi pancakes and seafood pancakes are the most famous types due to their rich and distinctive flavors. Though simple, these fried pancakes are very easy to eat and suit the taste of most people, making them a suitable choice for those who want to explore Korean street food.
Crispy golden waffle served with savory soy sauce
Ice Cream Stuffed Waffle
The ice cream stuffed waffle is no stranger, but in Korea, its flavor is even better. The fluffy, soft waffle is filled with colorful and refreshing ice cream inside. This dessert will surely delight sweet enthusiasts.
Waffle paired with your favorite ice cream flavors
Twisted Doughnut Kkwabaegi
A list of Korean street foods would be incomplete without mentioning twisted doughnut Kkwabaegi. This deep-fried treat is made from wheat or glutinous rice flour, fried to a crispy golden brown, and coated with either white sugar or cinnamon powder. The sweet aroma of this traditional snack attracts many tourists to experience Korean street food.
Deliciously coated twisted doughnut with sugar
Famous spots for Korean street food
Korean street food is gaining increasing popularity among tourists. You can easily spot a food stall along the street, but if you want to find a place where you can try a variety of dishes without going far, then here are some recommendations for you.
Myeongdong
The district dubbed as a shopping paradise is also famous for street food in the capital city of Seoul. Myeongdong is bustling day and night, with many stalls selling tteokbokki, fried chicken, hotdogs, and fish cakes set up to serve tourists. Based on my experience traveling in Korea, just taking a stroll around this area, you can have a street food feast.
Myeongdong Food District
Hongdae
This is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Korea. Being close to Hongik University, this area is vibrant and always full of life. The food stalls along this street offer a wide variety of dishes at reasonable prices. Hongdae resembles a small town where friendly people and enticing food come together.
Irresistible eateries in Hongdae
Insadong
Insadong is renowned as the cultural shopping district of Seoul. Amidst antique and handicraft shops are street food carts. If you want to stroll around buying souvenirs while enjoying the essence of Korean street food, then visit this street in Seoul. Though not as extensive as Myeongdong, the food stalls in Insadong are of high quality.
The intersection of culture and street food
Gwangjang Market
If you love exploring traditional markets, be sure to add Gwangjang Market to your itinerary. This is a fantastic spot with numerous enticing food stalls emitting delicious aromas from one end of the market to the other. The best time to visit Gwangjang Market is in the early morning. Try kimbap or bindaetteok here, the distinctive flavors will surely make you want to come back.
Gwangjang Market is always bustling with people
Namdaemun Market
This is another traditional market in Seoul that you can visit to explore Korean street food. Although this place sells more clothing and goods, the eateries at Namdaemun Market are of high quality. The piping hot hotteok pancakes are the best dish you should try when you're here.
Don't forget to explore the famous food scene at Namdaemun Market
Noryangjin Market
Noryangjin is one of the largest and most famous live seafood markets in Seoul. If you want to try the freshest seafood or authentic soondae sausage, this market is the ideal place to go. The market gets busier during lunchtime as the prices here are quite affordable and the servings are generous. So, it's best to come here a bit early to avoid the crowds.
The market famous for its affordable prices
Bupyeong Kkangtong Market
This is a renowned market in Busan, the second most famous city among international friends after the capital Seoul. The coastal city boasts an abundance of fresh seafood and delicious dishes like seafood pancakes and fish cakes. You must try the Busan fish cakes here as they are a famous delicacy of Korea.
Bupyeong Kkangtong Market in Busan
Korean street food is a distinctive cultural aspect that adds to the unique charm of the Land of Kimchi. The best dishes are enjoyed straight from the small carts, offering simple yet incredibly delicious flavors that captivate all diners. So why hesitate? Book your Mytour Korea tour now and immerse yourself in an unparalleled culinary experience in this country.
Author: Tuntun
Image Source: Internet
