ALTHOUGH far from healthy, Korean street food is just the thing to cap off a night on the town. It’s hot, fast, and cheap – what more can you ask for during the cold Korean winter?
Street food in Korea can be divided into two basic categories: Korean, and stuff adapted from abroad. The former category involves anything from dried squid (imagine a seafood-flavored beef jerky) to a fish-shaped pastry with red bean paste filling. From the Western world, you can expect to see hot dogs, corn dogs, and even some Turkish kebabs.
A distinctly Korean element of street food is alcohol, and there’s no better place to partake than a pojang macha. These orange tents offer some cuts of meat and other Korean foods, but the focus here is the alcohol. Beer and soju, to be exact. You’ll find these all over Korea, but most are near where people are already imbibing.
Some Korean street foods worth trying:
ddeokbokki (떡볶이) – rice cakes in cylindrical shape, cooked and soaked in a spicy chili sauce. A little messy potentially, so try not to walk in crowds while eating. It’s spicy, but not so much that you’ll need something else to put out the fire. Expect to pay about 2,500 – 3,000 won for a bowl and a few toothpicks to eat them with.
o-deng (오뎅) – picture a shish kebab, made of fish paste. They’re best hot, and most commonly enjoyed while staying at the booth – all the better to drink the broth they’re soaking in! If you’re just picking up a snack, pass on a cup of the broth. It’s a bit more difficult to manage a pointy stick and a cup of near-boiling liquid, personally. These are usually about 1,000 – 2,000 won a stick – you might go through two or three until you’re feeling full.
soon-dae (순대) another street food more popular with the older generation, these require some decent-sized cojones to try. Why? These are Korean blood sausages served in pig intestines. Think about what a hot dog is really made of and get back to me. Until then, try it if you’re brave or are looking to impress your Korean friends. About 3,000 won a serving.
The bread in the shape of a cute fish – ing-eo-bbang (잉어빵) – while the bread is nothing special, it’s shaped like a fish and filled with red bean paste. Taste-wise it’s neither sweet nor sour – but it is definitely filling. Note that these are usually only available in the colder months, where three fish can be devoured for 2,000 – 3,000 won. These come piping hot – be careful not to burn yourself!
dalk-ko-chi (닭꼬치) – as close to a chicken shish kebab as you’ll find in Korea. Tender pieces of chicken play nice with the occasional veggie. The meat-on-a-stick is good as well. This will look the most ‘normal’ to Western eyes, next to…
Hot dogs! (핫도그) – the quintessential American snack / meal comes on a stick. It also comes as a corn dog, or covered in French fries – whatever the outside might look like, the inside is the same. Note that they may dunk your dog back in the fryer to reheat it up. This is normal, and will also prevent you from biting into a lukewarm dog – be patient for that extra minute or two!
Finally, a street food that’s less popular: beondegi (번데기), or boiled silkworm pupae. If this sounds like something out of Fear Factor or some other reality show, you may not be that far off. You will very rarely see a person under 40 actually eating these.
On the Western side of things, you’ll find Turkish kebab trucks and urban taco trucks around the two main expat enclaves: Itaewon and Hongdae. The exact locations change nightly, of course, but they wouldn’t be successful if they weren’t easy to spot – or right outside the best clubs! Take them as a good sign of an area worth exploring further.
