Korean Street Food
When travelling to South Korea, having a bite of street food is a must-do experience. And no need to worry about not being able to find food vendors during your walks, because wherever you go in Korea, you will see them lining up on the sides of the main streets or right in the middle line of pedestrian areas. Ranging from sweet to salty, from old-school to modern, and from light snacks to practically full meals, the street food in Korea will certainly satisfy all preferences and taste buds.
So if you’re looking for a quick, cheap and local-flavored bite, visit these food stalls, and we’re sure you will be pleased and satisfied with all the tasty and flavorful food out there!
Recommended Korean Street Food:
1). Tteokbokki 떡볶이 (Spicy rice cake) – You can find it everywhere in Korea, Tteokbokki is to Korean kids what French Fries are to American kids. After school, kids would get cups of these and eat it. The sauce is a bit sweet and spicy. You will see a lot of street food vendors serve spicy Rice cake with fish cake but in a Tteokbokki restaurant, there are many variations and toppings.
2). Odeng 오뎅 (Fish cake) – Korean Fish cakes on a stick and boiled in a broth. This is a wintertime favorite dish of Korean people. After eating the fish cake you have to drink a cup of broth.
3). Bindaetteok 빈대떡 (Mung Beans Pancakes) – This crispy mung bean pancake is the star at Gwangjang market where they sell these by 1000’s every day. This dish was created by north Korean refugees who set up shops at the market because they didn’t have any other opportunity to work. Bindaetteok made by grinding soaked mung beans, vegetables and meat and then pan-frying it round and flat.
4). Hotdog – Korean hot dogs are one of the most popular Korean street food nowadays, actually that has recently come to the US. Unlike the hotdogs in US, Korean hot dogs are are coated in batter and deep fried, some shops offer several variations, including a cheese, potato or squid ink, etc.
5). Kimbap 김밥 (Rice rolls) – Korean rice rolls usually stuffed with cucumber, crab, turnip, ham, egg and wrapped in seaweed with a bit of roasted sesame oil. You’ll see people selling these out of Styrofoam coolers on the street or they might have carts where they make it. This dish is the most popular food after rice cake for children and teenagers because of its colors and good taste. The next dish is one of Korean people favorite dish.
6). Sundae 순대 (Blood sausage) – Korean sausage made with cow or pig’s intestines, pigs blood and glasses noodles, a very popular street food in North and South Korea.
7). Bungeoppang 붕어빵 (Fish Shaped Pastry) – Bungeoppang is a fish-shaped pastry stuffed with sweetened red bean paste or custard cream. It is similar to Japanese taiyaki or western waffle.
8). Hotteok 호떡 (Korean Sweet Pancakes) – Hotteok is a very popular street food in Korea during winter, it stuffed with dark brown sugar, cinnamon powder or nuts or seeds. Some shops offer other pancakes stuffed with vegetable, Kimchi or meat, etc.
9). Dakgangjeong 닭강정 (Sweet crispy fried chicken) – We know Chimac (Chicken and Beer) is very popular in Korea since 2013 due to the Korean drama ”My love from the star), but before this new trend ”Chimac”, do you know the fried chicken in Korea came along in 1975 after Mr. Yu Seok-ho went to study abroad in US? Actually the first fried chicken restaurant was established in 1977 in the basement of Shinsegae Department Store. The fried chicken named Dakgangjeong in Korean, it has the longest history and Dakgangjeong is quiet different with the common fried chicken, Dakgangjeong is crispy fried chicken pieces glazed in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce.
10). Patbingsoo 팥빙수 (Red beans ice flakes) – Patbingsu is shaved ice flakes that come with various toppings such as sweet red beans, condensed milk, fruit syrup. The ice flakes originally began as ice shavings with red bean paste. Read more about Korean summer dessert.
Check out more about Korean food:
Want to join a food tour? Check out more about our food tours:
The Best Food Tour in Seoul: Tradition vs. Modernity
Korean Street Food Walking Tour
Half day Royal Palace and Food Market Tour
Food Tour at Noryangjin Fish Market
Check our main website for the largest selection of Korea Private Tours
Price?
Korean street food costs between 1,000 and 8,000 won.
Where to eat in Seoul?
- Gwangjang Market 광장시장)
- Tongin Market (통인시장)
- Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market (서울 밤도깨비 야시장)
- Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town (신당동떡볶이골목)
- Namdaemun Market (남대문시장)
- Myeongdong Street Food Alley (명동)
