In South Korea, you are never far from delicious street food to satisfy your cravings. Skewers of tangy chargrilled chicken, crispy fried veggies and golden fish-shaped waffles filled with a sweet surprise can make for a full meal.
Eat Korean-style – not walking but rubbing shoulders with locals around stalls or in cozy pojangmacha (tented street restaurants) with a cup of soju (a distilled spirit). It’s an easy way to experience and taste-test diverse Korean flavors.
Here are some of the most popular foods to sink your teeth into on the streets of South Korea.
Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)
If you dislike spice, look away now. Tteokbokki are rice cakes in a bright red-orange sauce made from a mix of water, soy sauce, sugar, red chili flakes, and gochujang, a paste made from fermented soybeans and red chilis used extensively in Korean dishes like bibimbap. Just about anywhere Koreans gather for work, school, or socializing, you will find street stalls and pojangmacha stewing oblong pans of tteok in the bubbling sauce.
A mild version of tteokbokki used to be reserved for the royal court, but now partygoers stop on the street to enjoy the chewy rice cakes. They don’t have much flavor on their own and almost demand the spicy and sweet sauce. Variations often include slices of fish cake, boiled eggs, and ramen noodles. Sindang Tteokbokki Town, located in Seoul’s Sindang neighborhood, is a great place to try this dish, where its modern version was pioneered and popularized.
For a quick and convenient version, try tteokkochi, where the rice cakes are threaded onto a skewer.
Soondae (Korean Sausage)
Soondae is one of Korea’s most popular street foods, and you’ll find it at just about every street stall. However, don’t confuse it with bratwurst or salami; soondae is a blood sausage made from cow or pig intestine stuffed with pork blood along with glass noodles, glutinous rice, and vegetables.
These soft, chewy sausages are often served steamed, sliced, and accompanied by liver and lung. In Seoul, a mix of salt, chili powder, sesame seeds, and MSG for dipping is common, while in other regions, you might receive a vinegar-gochujang mix or a soybean-based sauce. Many street eaters enjoy pairing tteokbokki and soondae together, dipping the sausage into the spicy sauce.
If you head to Gangwon-do Province, be sure to try ojingeo soondae, which uses cooked squid instead of intestines to hold the filling.
Gimbap (Rice and Nori Rolls)
Resembling sushi rolls, gimbap are made with dried seaweed (gim) that bursts with flavor. The rice (bap) and seaweed are lightly infused with sesame oil, often accompanied by a side of kimchi for an extra kick. Fillings typically include canned tuna or beef, spinach, carrot, imitation crab, pickled radish, egg, and Korean perilla leaf.
Gimbap is available in both hefty slices and smaller rolls. Smaller versions are prevalent at street stalls and markets, whereas larger portions are staples of bunsik (simple lunch and snack shops). Packaged versions can also be found easily at convenience stores throughout the country.
Dak Gangjeong (Seasoned Fried Chicken Pieces)
Dak gangjeong is a delicious fusion food. Tender chicken pieces are coated with a sweet and spicy sauce, then sprinkled with sesame seeds and peanuts. These boneless bite-sized pieces are usually double-fried, giving them a distinct crunch. A small box makes for a satisfying snack. Some stalls even offer a version sprinkled with parmesan cheese for an even more exciting fusion experience.
Twigim (Korean-Style Tempura)
Koreans don’t hold back on frying their street food. Twigim consists of various ingredients fried in batter, reminiscent of Japanese tempura but heartier: savory squid, a variety of vegetables, sweet potatoes, and even boiled eggs. You will be hard-pressed to find twigim outside of Korea, making it a must-try delicacy.
At street markets, sit-down twigim restaurants allow you to select pieces from a buffet-style spread to fry up fresh for you. Gongdeok Market in Seoul is particularly renowned for its twigim.
Mandu (Dumplings)
Mandu can be deliciously fried, steamed, or boiled. The most popular option for street snacking is kimchi mandu, filled with green onion, ground pork, and spicy kimchi. Kogi mandu feature a wholesome stuffing of gingery ground pork and green onions. Dumplings are often served in portions of six or seven, accompanied by soy sauce and vinegar for dipping.
Jjinppang mandu are soft buns filled with pork, tofu, green onions, and garlic, while sweet jjinppang is filled with red bean paste.
Myeon (Noodles)
Bowls of myeon soup, while not traditionally street food, are readily available for quick meals on the go. In the winter, warm up with a hearty bowl of udon or janchi guksu (banquet noodles) found at a pojangmacha.
Bungeoppang and Gukhwa-ppang (Red Bean Waffles)
Throughout Korea, look for adorable fish-shaped sweet cakes known as bungeoppang. With a golden brown, waffle-like exterior that’s soft and crispy, these treats contain a hot sweet red bean paste inside. Vendors also offer variations filled with cream or Nutella, devoid of any actual fish.
Additionally, you’ll find stalls serving gukhwa-ppang, shaped like chrysanthemum flowers, with similar fillings but generally less crispiness.
Hotteok (Korean Doughnuts)
Hotteok are sometimes referred to as Korean doughnuts, but they are more like pancakes with a sweet, caramel-like filling. Watching vendors skillfully press the dough into disks and fry them until golden brown is part of the experience. Vendors create a cavity in the dough to fill with a mix of cinnamon, brown sugar, and peanuts, resulting in oozing caramel when fried.
It’s a tempting treat, so be cautious as the hot filling can burn you when you can’t resist biting into the fragrant pancake. A Busan specialty, ssiat hotteok, includes black sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds, satisfying any sweet tooth.
Gyeranppang (Egg Muffins)
Gyeranppang, which translates to “egg bread,” is an oblong muffin featuring a moist whole egg baked on top, often garnished with parsley. Although harder to find in summer, these delightful snacks increase in availability with cooler weather. For an authentic experience, visit Incheon, where this tasty treat originated.
Kkochi (Skewers)
Korean street vendors know that serving food on a skewer makes it easier to enjoy. The most common offering is dak-kkochi: grilled chicken and green onion skewers that provide a smoky charred flavor paired with a sticky barbecue sauce. Another popular option is sotteok sotteok, a kebab of mini sausages and rice cakes. For a unique twist, try hway-ori gamja (tornado potato), a fried potato spiraled onto a stick.
Odeng/Eomuk (Fishcake)
Odeng are commonly served on skewers and are hot, flavorful fish cakes. For those avoiding spice, odeng is a mild option. The fishcake can be shaped like a hot dog or flattened, often found simmering in vats of broth that may include seafood, green onion, and occasionally chili.
Odeng is self-serve; simply ladle broth into a cup and select skewers for enjoyment. Dipping sauces such as soy sauce are typically available for extra flavor.
Hot Bar (Fish-cake Bar)
A hot bar consists of fish-cake paste mixed with ingredients like carrot and then deep-fried. More complex versions may contain hot dogs, imitation crab, or cheese. A perilla leaf often wraps around the bar to enhance its flavor. Hot bars provide a quick, indulgent snack combining elements of both twigim and odeng.
Hot Dog
In Korea, hot dogs take on a different form, resembling corn dogs (battered sausages). Vendors provide an assortment of sauces such as ketchup and mustard, sometimes even sugar. For a truly unique experience, try a gamja dog, which features a sausage battered and crusted with French fries—a delightful treat reminiscent of fairground fun.
