Must Eat Street Food in Korea 2024: The Ultimate Guide

A country is known for its flavors and what better way to do it than through its market flavors and street food. By reading this blog you can explore the wonders of delicious street foods in Korea.

If something characterizes Korean cuisine is the wide range of flavors and nuances it offers. Although it has Chinese and Japanese influences, Korean cuisine shows a strong personality and a preponderant flavor: spicy. And your street foods in Korea is not exempt from this flavor; What’s more, for Korean taste, the spicier, the tastier. Below are examples of common street foods in Korea.

Must Try 12 Street Foods in Korea:

Tteokbokki

This dish is literally just for the brave. It is a classic of Korean cuisine. It is a sauce with a sweet and spicy taste; It is made from the mixture of Korean chili powder, sugar, seaweed broth, and dried anchovies. It is usually accompanied by a type of gnocchi with rice dough called Ddeokggochi, fried squid, meatballs, or kimbap.

Odeng and Fish Cakes

Both dishes are presented in the form of skewers and are essential in the Korean Street food menu. They are fast and extremely cheap snacks. It is a kind of fish cake that is impaled on a picho. Although originally a Japanese dish, the Korean palate has welcomed it as a recipe of its own.

Cup Chicken

This is one of the new inventions in Korea that left everyone delighted. In Korea, chicken is passion. The ones known as Cup Chicken are the perfect portion of chicken accompanied with a delicious drink and all in one glass! Do not panic, it is not the chicken floating in drink, the drink is down, and you drink by the sorbet, above there is a second glass with the chicken in sweet and sour sauce.

Yangnyeom Tongdak

This is among one of the most emblematic dishes of the street kitchen. It is a fusion of different types of fried chicken with the Korean seal: spicy, honey, sesame seeds, peanuts, and chili. It is usually accompanied by Beer, and the combo is known as Mekju.

Somsatang

One of the rules of Korean street food is to get, in each corner, a culinary proposal. And since Korean is not only spicy, the sweet proposal is also present. The Somsatang is a classic of its street food. It is cotton candy, like that of a lifetime, but with the particularity that it is taken to a more extreme level.

Koreans not only conform to a huge size, but also, these sugar balls have artistically made shapes. From bears, rainbows, and floral designs are the options that can be appreciated.

Hotteok

It is a type of pancakes or flat pancakes made with flour and covered with hot brown sugar syrup. Depending on the region, some varieties are added; for example, in Busan they are presented with pistachios, nuts, and sunflower seeds.

Toppoki

Another classic is Toppoki. The story goes that before this delicious dish was a snack that children ate when they left school. Similar to the case of Kimbap, the dish popularized, and now adults and children do not want to run out of their Toppoki ration.

What is this delight about? They are cooked tteok (rice cake) that, together with meat, vegetables, eggs, and condiments, are served after being covered with ginkgo fruit and nuts.

Pajeon

This lovely pajeon or pancakes are a full meal on the go. The common version of pajeon obstructs with leeks and green onions, while another huemul pajeon is filled with lots of squid and sometimes prawns or mussels then fried in batter.

Pajeon is cheery yellow, puffy and its mostly popular at Gwangjang Market in Seoul, Korea.

Kimbap

This is a classic that many must have already tried. It is about Kimbap; some call it “Korean sushi,” but it is absolutely different in taste. The Kimbap was originally a meal that mothers prepared for their children when they went on a picnic, but it became so popular that now adults, children, and even foreigners eat it and want to know more about Korean cuisine.

It is white rice cooked with sesame oil and stuffed with vegetables or meat, rolled in pressed seaweed. The filling may vary as well as the size

Gyeran Bbang (Egg Muffins)

Gyeran bbang, Korean egg bread, is a reassuring street food found over Seoul and a popular snack in the colder winter months. When you see Gyeran bbang in stalls it basically looks like an elongated muffin topped with an egg – and that’s essentially what it is.

You get a soft, easily flavoured muffin (if in, not too sweet, not too savoury) with a whole egg inside or just sit on top. It is an easy snack to eat on the road for a quick energy boost while you look around.

Bulgogi

This grilled marinated beef dish is one of the most popular Korean meat dishes. Beef is thinly sliced   and placed in a marinade that usually consists of a combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and sometimes pureed Korean pear and ginger. Because the meat is cut so thin does not want to marinate long and the dish is usually grilled (although it can also be fried pan).

You will find bulgogi served with rice, or as lettuce wraps with various toppings such as onions, sliced   vegetables and kimchi.

Japchae

Healthy and full of vegetables, japchae consists of sweet potato noodles (or glass of noodles) stir-fried with nutty sesame oil and thinly sliced   vegetables and beef. The noodles themselves are a bit sweet and a little chewy and the dish is often topped with sesame seeds. Since the noodles are not the typical wheat-based pasta, the dish is refreshingly light and yet satisfying.

Read our another article HERE >>> Things to Pack in My Carry-on and Travel Essentials

Conclusion:

Sometimes it is not necessary to sit in the most expensive restaurant to get to know the gastronomy of a country. Walking the streets and feeling the smell of street food is another way to approach the culinary customs of a nation.

Korea is no exception, and the variety of food you can eat while walking looking at stained glass or walking somewhere outdoors is very wide.