Seoul Street Food
Seoul Street Food is part of the larger tapestry of Korean cuisine in South Korea. Unique for being a largely standalone cuisine, with little outside influence, Korean cuisine originated from an agricultural society, and through interaction with the natural environment. Seoul Street Food can be broadly classified into 3 categories; main staple dishes, side dishes, and desserts.
Bibimbap / Mixed Rice
Food in Seoul can be found along the streets in pushcarts or small cafes, in mid-range restaurants, and fine-dining establishments. Korean cuisine is largely based on rice and legumes, with dishes being heavy on seasoning, and usually include fermented items. As a result, many dishes taste tangy, salty, sour, or spicy. Common ingredients used in many Seoul and South Korea dishes include white rice, soybeans, tofu / beancurd, Tteok / Dduk / rice cakes, sesame oil, doenjang / fermented soybean paste, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, gochujang / fermented red chili paste, cabbage, barley, buckwheat, mung beans, adzuki red beans, vinegar, onions, beef, chicken, pork, mackerel fish, hairtail fish, Pacific herring fish, anchovies, shrimp / prawns, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, cucumber, potato, sweet potato, spinach, bean sprouts, seaweed, zucchini, mushrooms, chili and more.
A typical Korean meal is usually a communal affair, with several main dishes all served at the same time, alongside a variety of side dishes known as Banchan. These Banchan are mostly vegetables, and are free-flow / unlimited servings; you can get refills. There is a strict dining etiquette in Korean culture, with the eldest normally being served first, dishes laid out on the table in a specific order, and meals eaten in silence.
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The Beer Baekdusan Hefeweizen is a Korean craft beer, with a light yellow blonde colour, aroma of banana, wheat, and lemon. Body is smooth, crisp, light, with tastes of banana, cloves, and oranges, starting out sour, moving on to sweet, then finishing with a lingering bitterness.
Beer Baekdusan Hefeweizen
Beer Baekdusan Hefeweizen
The Beer Cass is a common Korean beer, with a pale straw yellow colour, aroma of wheat and malt. Body is light, crisp, and dry, with moderate amount of carbonation, tastes of wheat, corn, rice, and hops, refreshing and grainy with a dry finish.
Beer Cass
The Beer Hite is a common Korean beer, with a bright golden colour, aroma of wheat, cereal, and malt. Body is smooth, crisp, and fizzy, with high amount of carbonation, tastes of bread, barley, malt, and corn, refreshing with some sweetness and bitterness, and undertones of metal.
Beer Hite
The Beer Namsan Pure Pilsner is a Korean craft beer, with a hazy orange amber colour, aroma of malt and grains. Body is medium soft, lively, and crisp, tastes of biscuit, wheat, banana, and malt, starting out sweet, moving on to bitter, then finishing dry and astringent.
Beer Namsan Pure Pilsner
Beer Namsan Pure Pilsner
The Bibimbap / Mixed Rice is a healthy one-dish main meal, where warm white rice is topped with cucumber, zucchini, daikon radish, mushrooms, spinach, soybean sprouts, doraji / bellflower root, seaweed, gochujang / fermented red chili paste, soy sauce, doenjang / fermented soybean paste, carrots, beef, and a raw egg. Everything (seasonings, rice, vegetables) is stirred together in a large bowl (hence the name), before being eaten. For visual appeal, the ingredients are often placed so adjacent colors complement each other, and the dish is rich in symbolism, with all the different colours having a meaning.
Bibimbap / Mixed Rice
Bibimbap / Mixed Rice
The Bindaetteok / Mung Bean Pancake, also known as Nokdujeon, is a thick, fluffy, savoury pancake, made with mashed mung beans, scallions, salt, Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage, and fried in sesame oil. This working-person main dish can be eaten throughout the day, though it's more commonly served at breakfast, and is usually accompanied by a dipping sauce made with soy sauce, scallions, vinegar, and chili.
Bindaetteok / Mung Bean Pancake
Bindaetteok / Mung Bean Pancake
The Budae Jjigae / Army Stew originated from scarcity during the Korean War, where people threw whatever food they could find into a large, boiling pot flavoured with gochujang / fermented red chili paste and Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage. This could include ingredients such as hot dogs / sausages, spam / luncheon meat, ground beef, ham, baked beans, instant ramen noodles, onions, scallions, tofu / beancurd, Tteok / Dduk / rice cakes, mushrooms, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, macaroni, carrots, anchovies, clams, cheese, and more. The resulting savoury spicy soup / broth was satisfiying and filling, a quick one-pot main meal that could be shared by many. Some Koreans also refer to this dish as Johnson-Tang, combining the surname of then American President Lyndon B. Johnson, with Tang, a word meaning soup / broth.
Budae Jjigae / Army Stew
Budae Jjigae / Army Stew
Budae Jjigae / Army Stew
Budae Jjigae / Army Stew
The Bulgogi / Char-Grilled Marinated Beef is a dish of thinly sliced beef sirloin, marinated in soy sauce, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, and pepper, then grilled / sauteed, along with onions, mushrooms, and scallions. It is served as a main dish, and is usually eaten with white rice. Variations include Dweji Bulgogi / Char-Grilled Marinated Pork, Dak Bulgogi / Char-Grilled Marinated Chicken, or Ojingeo Bulgogi / Char-Grilled Marinated Squid.
Bulgogi / Char-Grilled Marinated Beef
Bulgogi / Char-Grilled Marinated Beef
The Delimanjoo is a unique South Korea dessert, created in Seoul in 1998. Essentially, it's a warm, soft, round cake made from corn, and filled with a creamy, sweet custard. Moulded in the shape of miniature ears of corn, this sweet dessert treat has gained popularity internationally.
Delimanjoo
Delimanjoo
Delimanjoo
The Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup is a common working-person main meal, which can be eaten throughout the day. This common street food is made with fish cake, daikon radish, soy sauce, salt, water, anchovies, onions, seaweed, and scallions. The result is a light, clear, thin yet savoury soup / broth, a simple comfort dish. An optional dipping sauce may accompany this dish, and locals also pair this with alcoholic beverages.
Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup
Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup
Eomuk Guk / Fish Cake Soup
The Gimbap / Kimbap / Seaweed Rice Roll is a popular main dish / snack, usually consisting of 1 main ingredient, along with steamed white rice, fried egg, cucumber, carrots, ham, spinach, daikon radish, salt, sugar, sesame seeds, and sesame oil, rolled together in a sheet of seaweed. The Gimbap Sogogi / Seaweed Rice Roll Beef features ground beef, while the Gimbap Chamchi / Seaweed Rice Roll Tuna features tuna mayonnaise, as their respective main ingredient. This dish resembles the Japanese futomaki sushi roll.
Gimbap Sogogi / Seaweed Rice Roll Beef
Gimbap Sogogi / Seaweed Rice Roll Beef
Gimbap Chamchi / Seaweed Rice Roll Tuna
Gimbap Chamchi / Seaweed Rice Roll Tuna
The Gogigui / Barbecue is not a dish, but rather a dining experience. Diners gather around a charcoal grill built into a table, with a ventilation shaft directly overhead, to roast various types of meat. A typical Gogigui / Barbecue is accompanied by Banchan / side dishes, and a dipping sauce of Ganjang Yangpa Gochu / Soy Sauce With Onions & Chili.
Various types of meat are available, such as Chadolbegi / Thin Beef Brisket, Deungsim / Beef Sirloin, Jjalbeun Peulleiteu / Beef Short Plate, Kkot Deungsim / Beef Ribeye, Samgyeopsal / Pork Belly, Seukachi Pilles / Pork Scotch Fillet, Teog / Pork Jowl, and more. All these meats are usually eaten together with Sangchu / Lettuce, where the meat is wrapped within along with gochujang / fermented red chili paste.
Gogigui / Barbecue - Sangchu / Lettuce
Gogigui / Barbecue - Chadolbegi / Thin Beef Brisket
Gogigui / Barbecue - Deungsim / Beef Sirloin
Gogigui / Barbecue - Kkot Deungsim / Beef Ribeye
Gogigui / Barbecue - Jjalbeun Peulleiteu / Beef Short Plate
Gogigui / Barbecue - Samgyeopsal / Pork Belly
Gogigui / Barbecue - Seukachi Pilles / Pork Scotch Fillet
Gogigui / Barbecue - Teog / Pork Jowl
Gogigui / Barbecue - Ganjang Yangpa Gochu / Soy Sauce With Onions & Chili
The Gyeran Bbang / Egg Bread is a popular street food snack, commonly found throughout Seoul, South Korea. It's made with whole milk, vinegar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter, eggs, and topped with grated mozzarella cheese and parsley. This baked snack is sweet, fluffy, and cheap, a cute little loaf of bread with a whole egg inside, served by street vendors in a cardboard paper sleeve.
Gyeran Bbang / Egg Bread
Gyeran Bbang / Egg Bread
The Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Pancake is a thin pancake, topped with a variety of fresh seafood, such as squid, octopus, clams, or shrimp / prawns. The batter for the pancake itself can be made from either all-purpose flour, buckwheat, egg, or mashed mung beans. Usually served as a Banchan / side dish, and eaten with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, and chili.
Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Pancake
Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Pancake
Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Pancake
Haemul Pajeon / Seafood Pancake
The Jajangmyeon / Black Soybean Paste Noodles is a dish inspired by Chinese cuisine, and features thick wheat noodles in a thick, savoury, sticky sauce made from roasted soybeans, corn starch / potato starch, and caramel. Flavour of the sauce is enhanced by stir-frying it with either pork or beef, cucumbers, zucchini, and potatoes. This is a common working-person main dish which can be eaten throughout the day.
Jajangmyeon / Black Soybean Paste Noodles
Jajangmyeon / Black Soybean Paste Noodles
Considered among the world's healthiest foods, and said to even prevent stomach cancer, Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage is more than just a tasty Banchan / side dish, but is also a versatile ingredient incorporated into many Korean dishes. It's made with napa cabbage rubbed with sea salt; seasoned with a paste made from scallions, ginger, daikon radish, garlic, glutinous rice, saeujeot / fermented shrimp sauce, aekjeot / fish sauce, eoriguljeot / oyster sauce, and chili; then left to ferment in a brine of vinegar and water. The most iconic national dish of South Korea, this is commonly served at every meal in Seoul, and has a sour, sharp taste, with a crunchy texture.
Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage
Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage
Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage
Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage
Trailing just behind in popularity is another variation of Kimchi, the Kimchi Oi Sobaegi / Kimchi Pickled Cucumber, also served as a Banchan / side dish. While essentially all the same seasonings, ingredients, and preparation methods are used, this simply replaces the napa cabbage with cucumbers instead. It has that same sour, sharp taste, with a crunchy texture.
Kimchi Oi Sobaegi / Kimchi Pickled Cucumber
The Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish and Kimchi Kkakdugi / Kimchi Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish are Banchan / side dish that is usually consumed chilled, and has a sour, sharp taste with a crunchy texture. The difference is the normal version does not include the seasonings used in the Kimchi version. Timing is more critical with the daikon radish, as it has to be eaten before it goes soft.
Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish
Kkakdugi / Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish
Kimchi Kkakdugi / Kimchi Cubed Pickled Daikon Radish
The Eomuk Bokkeum / Stir-Fried Fish Cake is a common Banchan / side dish which features fish cakes stir-fried with onions, soy sauce, garlic, salt, carrots, spinach, and sesame seeds. This simple savoury dish is commonly eaten along with white rice.
Eomuk Bokkeum / Stir-Fried Fish Cake
Eomuk Bokkeum / Stir-Fried Fish Cake
Another common Banchan / side dish, the Kongnamul / Cold Soy Bean Sprouts is a chilled sweet savoury dish, featuring soybean sprouts boiled with salt, garlic, aekjeot / fish sauce, then garnished with sesame seeds. Sometimes, chili is added. This is eaten along with white rice.
Kongnamul / Cold Soy Bean Sprouts
Kongnamul / Cold Soy Bean Sprouts
Kongnamul / Cold Soy Bean Sprouts
As the oldest liquor in the country, Makgeolli / Rice Wine, also known as Nongju, is a drink favoured by the working-person. Made from nothing more than fermented white rice, yeast, and water, this milky, semi-sweet, slightly fizzy alcoholic beverage is surprisingly healthy, with up to 10% composed of lactic acid bacteria and dietary fiber. This unfiltered rice wine has an almost universal appeal, from both genders, youth to elderly, and even celebrities.
Makgeolli / Rice Wine
Makgeolli / Rice Wine
The Mandu / Dumpling is a common main dish / snack, and are usually filled with either minced meat (pork, beef), tofu / beancurd, spinach, mushrooms, Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage, scallions, or a combination of these ingredients. It can be boiled or steamed, grilled or fried, served dry or in a soup / broth. If served in a soup / broth, the dish is called Manduguk, and usually features either a beef stock or anchovy stock, along with egg and seaweed.
Mandu / Dumpling
Mandu / Dumpling
Mandu / Dumpling
Mandu / Dumpling
Known for its high calcium and iodine content, the Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum / Sauteed Seaweed is a Banchan / side dish that's made with seaweed, onions, garlic, corn syrup / honey, soy sauce, salt, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. This is a rather uncommon dish though, as the chilled, crunchy, slippery texture, and sour bitter grassy taste does not exactly appeal to many.
Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum / Sauteed Seaweed
Miyeok Julgi Bokkeum / Sauteed Seaweed
The Pat Bing Su / Red Beans With Ice is a popular Korean shaved ice dessert, with the traditional version consisting of shaved ice, adzuki red beans, ground peanuts, Tteok / Dduk / rice cakes, and milk. Today, there are many different variations, and various ingredients can be added, such as fruits, cereal, flavoured syrups, yoghurt, ice cream, green tea, coffee, whipped cream, and more. I personally prefer the normal original version, which today leave out the Tteok / Dduk / rice cakes, for its sweet, earthy, creamy milky flavour. The shaved ice should be smooth and silky in texture, not grainy.
Pat Bing Su / Red Beans With Ice
Pat Bing Su / Red Beans With Ice
Pat Bing Su / Red Beans With Ice
The Rabokki / Ramen Noodles With Rice Cakes is a carbohydrate-laden, savoury spicy soup / broth dish, filled with Tteok / Dduk / rice cakes, instant ramen noodles, Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage, eggs, sliced pork, onions, and scallions. This large main dish is suitable for sharing, and makes for a perfect meal on a cold day!
Rabokki / Ramen Noodles With Rice Cakes
Rabokki / Ramen Noodles With Rice Cakes
The Samgyetang / Ginseng Chicken Soup, also known as Samgae-Tang, consists of a whole, young chicken, stuffed with glutinous rice, garlic, Korean ginseng herbs, water chestnut, jujube / red dates, onions, and scallions, in a thin, clear, but savoury sweet chicken soup / broth. The chicken meat attains a tender, fall off the bone texture, with a savoury sweet herbal taste. This hot soup / broth is a main dish, traditionally eaten on the 3 hottest days of the year.
Samgyetang / Ginseng Chicken Soup
Samgyetang / Ginseng Chicken Soup
Samgyetang / Ginseng Chicken Soup
The Sesongyi-Guyi / Sauteed King Oyster Mushrooms is a Banchan / side dish, made with thinly sliced king oyster mushrooms, spinach, carrots, scallions, salt, and sesame oil. Served chilled, the earthy freshness of this pairs great with white rice.
Sesongyi-Guyi / Sauteed King Oyster Mushrooms
The Sigeumchi Namul / Boiled Spinach is a common Banchan / side dish, featuring blanched spinach, seasoned with salt, garlic, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and sometimes chili. This simple dish is often served as part of a meal, and the chilled, refreshing texture it has contrasts nicely with the more heavily seasoned Korean main dishes.
Sigeumchi Namul / Boiled Spinach
Sigeumchi Namul / Boiled Spinach
The Soju is an alcoholic beverage, whose base is made by distilling water together with either white rice, wheat, barley, potato, sweet potato, or tapioca, although modern versions also use fruit. Typically consumed neat, this clear, smooth drink is usually sour sweet in taste, with a lingering alcohol burn. The Soju Lotte Chilsung Chum-Churum is made with alkaline mineral water, along with sugar, corn syrup, and white rice, with a pleasantly strong body.
Soju Lotte Chilsung Chum-Churum
The Soondae Chapssal / Blood Sausage With Glutinous Rice is among the more unusual food around. It's made with cow or pig intestines, stuffed with sweet sticky glutinous rice that has been soaked in cow or pig blood. Boiled and then served chilled, it has a slightly chewy, sticky texture, with a pleasant mineral, earthy taste complemented by the sweetness of the stuffing.
Soondae Chapssal / Blood Sausage With Glutinous Rice
Soondae Chapssal / Blood Sausage With Glutinous Rice
The Soondubu Jjigae / Silken Tofu Stew, also known as Sundubu Jjigae, is a savoury spicy, comforting main dish, made with soft silken tofu / beancurd, mushrooms, onions, shrimp / prawns, clams or mussles, Kimchi Baechu / Kimchi Pickled Cabbage, beef or pork, and eggs, in a soup / broth made from water, soy sauce, daikon radish, onions, garlic, salt, sugar, sesame oil, gochujang / fermented red chili paste, and seaweed. It's served while still bubbling vigorously.
Soondubu Jjigae / Silken Tofu Stew
Soondubu Jjigae / Silken Tofu Stew
The Sosiji Saengseon Keikeu / Sausage With Fish Cake is a Banchan / side dish, made with sliced chicken hot dogs / sausages, fish cakes, and flavoured with gochujang / fermented red chili paste. It's served chilled.
Sosiji Saengseon Keikeu / Sausage With Fish Cake
A bowl of Ssalbap / Steamed White Rice typically accompanies any meal in Seoul, South Korea. The texture is sticky but not clumpy, with a light fragrant aroma.
Ssalbap / Steamed White Rice
The Tornado Twist Potato is a popular street food sold by street vendors, made by thinly slicing a potato in 1 continuous, unbroken chain, resulting in its spiral shape. Deep fried on skewers, it can then be further seasoned with a seasoning or sauce of your choice, with the default being just salt.
Tornado Twist Potato
Tornado Twist Potato
Tornado Twist Potato
The Tteokbokki / Ddukbokki / Rice Cakes is a common and popular Banchan / side dish, also often sold along the streets as a snack. Made by boiling then stir-frying Tteok / Dduk / rice cakes, which are soft, chewy, but tasteless, glutinous rice cake shap