Korean food in the UK is often far from authentic (outside of places like New Malden at least) and apart from a few dishes I’ve tried, a lot of it varies from what I’ve had South Korea. It seems like most of the restaurants we’ve tried here serve restaurant style/ special occasion food – Galbi, Bibimbap and Bulgogi. They don’t tend to serve too much of the food people eat at home, or the food people eat every day out on the streets.
That’s what I want to talk about today. Seoul street food. It’s everywhere – from the endless stalls lining the shopping streets of Myeongdong to the women selling bondeggi (google it) from wheeled carts and tarpaulin-covered ddeokboggi stalls on street corners. What you don’t get so much are hawker centres like those you see elsewhere in Asia, Singapore and Penang for example, although Gwangjang market is well worth a visit if you enjoy their hustle and bustle.
There’s something about eating outside, informally, with friends that I just love. Seoul is a great place to experience this way of dining, with so much to try. There are a mind-boggling amount of options on sticks for example, from sweet, savoury, spicy and everything in between.
On our recent trip to Seoul, I ate as much street food as I could get away with and of course, documented the lot. Without further ado… despite it being incredibly hard to narrow down:
Here are my favourite 5 Seoul street food dishes you MUST try!
Hoddeok (호떡)
Dave’s favourite sweet treat, hoddeok is a kind of pancake with a hot peanut and brown sugar filling. You can find them being sold from carts everywhere, even in residential areas and they are particularly popular in autumn and winter. The best ones are hot, fluffy and chewy and apparently, if you pay more than 1500 원 (£1) you’ve been done. We spent hours trawling the streets to find the perfect hotteok and this was it, in Insadong, gobbled quickly with plenty of potential for mouth burn!
Odeng (오뎅)
This was my absolute fave Seoul street food thing to eat and I’m fairly sure I ate at least one Odeng a day. Whilst it doesn’t look the most appetising, these fish cakes come in all shapes and sizes. The most common street food version is pictured below. A wide, flat sheet of fishcake is skewered on a stick and simmered in a soy-dashi broth. It’s served with a small cup which you can fill with the broth to drink alongside the fishcake. If you’re really lucky you might find a tiny dried shrimp at the bottom!
Sundae (순대)
This is something that Dave used to speak about with a wistful look in his eyes because neither of us has ever seen it anywhere other than in Korea. So, when we saw it at Gwangjang market (and subsequently, everywhere else) he insisted that we get it so I could see why he loves it so much. Sundae is delicious. Fact. Not one for the faint-hearted, it’s usually a cow’s intestine stuffed with blood, noodles and barley (interesting fact – the noodles were originally added to bulk out the more expensive ingredients, but since have become a staple ingredient). It’s reminiscent of black pudding only it’s steamed and not nearly as heavy. It’s usually served alongside chunks of steamed pig liver, either in a thick spicy sauce or sliced with a salt and pepper dip.
Dakgangjeong (닭강정)
If you want to try these sticky chicken skewers, head to Myeongdong where there are plenty of stalls selling them! The dakgangjeong is poached before being seared on a griddle and then painted (literally, with a paintbrush) in your choice of sticky, spicy sauce. It drips everywhere and I got more around my face than in my mouth but it was totally delish!
Ddeokbokki (떡볶이)
This is probably the most well known of the five dishes I’ve listed here. Ddeokbokki is often served in Korean restaurants in the UK and can be found in most Asian supermarkets here but it’s not an evening meal or even a restaurant dish. It’s actually street food, served in little styrofoam bowls with a stick to eat off. These tubular rice cakes are coated in a sticky sauce, the thickness of tomato soup but much spicier. We ate them on a drizzly night as we walked through Jamsil on our second night.
Have you been to South Korea? What was your favourite Seoul street food? Share your stories below! I’d love to hear them.
oh my goodness! Sausage wrapped in a fishcake!!!! – I think I’ll stick to the hoddeok, which looks like it might just be my favourite too!
I know! Sounds bizarre but actually pretty tasty! Hoddeok is just delicious too though Fiona! 🙂
Aww, these are some foods. Your brave to try all these. Your travels look interesting. Glad you got to see South Korea in all its glory.
Thank you, we had a great trip 🙂
I’ve never been to South Korea but the street food looks amazing! What a great experience! I love rice cakes so I’d definitely like to try the Ddeokbokki!
I’ve never been to South Korea but it sounds like a gastronomical treat – so many dishes to try!
For me the dish I would love to try most is the Dakgangjeong as I’m a huge chicken fan. I must admit my food knowledge of eastern Asian cuisine is limited so it was interesting to read about the different dishes. The cows intestines sound a little odd.
My Aunt says the same about Chinese food. I love trying the authentic foods rather than the European versions to suit our tastes. All looks amazing and good for you for being brave and trying 🙂
i am not a fan of fish but hoddeok sounds amazing!!
All of the Seoul street food looks and sounds so delicious. I think hoddeok would be my favourite, though I don’t think I could try the Sundae it’s definitely not for the squeamish!
I have never heard of a sausage wrapped in a fishcake but it sounds among