Top 15 Korean Street Food To Beat The Cold During Korea Winter Season
In this article, we will share the top 15 korean street food in korea to beat the cold during winter season that you can find when you travel South korea. These list will really help you especially if you plan on coming during winter season, it’s a total help and must try korean street food.
If you plan to visit korea during late fall or winter, for whatever reasons, probably you want to have a first snowfall experience or having some winter experience and activities in korea, then you need to know these food to help you beat the cold during winter season in korea. Let’s dive right to it.
Gukhwappang 국화빵 (Chrysanthemum Bread)
I believe we all imagine flower, or tea, when we heard Chrysanthemum word. However, this one is not flower nor tea, this one is korean bread that takes form of chrysanthemum, without the flower taste of course.
it taste more like Japanese taiyaki. You can find this bread in Insadong as you pass by looking for korean traditional souvenirs to bring back home. This Chrysanthemum bread usually filled with sweet red bean, however some stalls offers other flavor such as honey and peanut.
Chrysanthemum Bread comes in smaller rounds with a chrysanthemum stamped on the top and bottom and it’s really affordable too, you can buy it in packs of 5 for KRW 1,000.
Bungeoppang 붕어빵 (Red Bean Filled Pastry)
Bungeoppang (붕어빵) is a fish shaped pastry that are often filled with something inside. In the old times, the only available fillings were sweetened red bean paste, but as time goes by, it created more choices for their fillings, such as custard, nutella, and even peanut butter.
This goldfish-shaped snack is quite possibly the most commonly sold winter snack food in Korea. Once you take a bite you’ll figure out it’s really flour stuffed with red bean paste and then grilled to a nice brown.
Other than that, bungeoppang is really cheap and affordable, you can buy three to five of this snacks for around KRW 2,000.
Gyeranppang 계란빵 (Egg Bread)
Gyeranppang means “egg Bread” in Korean. This korean street food is a warm snack sold throughout Korea and gain more popularity during winter season. As you see, Gyeranppang is filled with egg and it has a shape of rounded circle nor rectangle.
Egg bread is really good to eat during winter season because it is full of nutrition that gives you more energy to beat the cold. If you are planning to visit Korea during winter season, make sure you try this egg bread gyeranppang on the street vendor.
Gyeranppang Egg bread is priced less than KRW 2,000. It’s really worth it, and it’s gonna fill you enough as an instant snacks where you can just takes it away and eat while you’re walking to your destination.
Gonggal bbang 공갈빵 (Empty Bread)
Gonggal means “lie,”, so Gonggal bread means Lying Bread. Ooops. It named that way for a reason, while it looks puffy outside, it’s actually nothing inside. Yes, as you bite into it, you’ll discover that it’s hollow, nothing inside it, no fillings at all.
What makes this one worth to try is that Gonggal bread is one of the cheapest Korean winter street foods around, they usually sell it for less than KRW 1000.
Goguma Mattang (Korean Candied Sweet Potatoes)
Goguma Mattang (고구마 맛탕) is a deep fried chunky sweet potatoes that are coated with caramelized sugar. It taste crunchy outside and soft inside.
Actually, Mattang originated in China. They have a cooking method called 拔絲 (básī), which roughly describes the sugar caramelization process. Then later on Korean reinvented this mattang into Goguma mattang, korean version of mattang.
Chaloksusu 찰옥수수 (Steamed Corn)
Chal-oksusu (찰옥수수) means steamed corn, Oksusu means Corn. Chaloksusu is another popular winter street food not just in Korea, but I guess everywhere love hot corn in winter seasons. Chaloksusu also not just keep you warm, but also a healthy snack.
Chapssaltteok (red bean mochi)
Chapssaltteok (찹쌀떡) is a Korean version of Japanese mochi rice cake, daifuku. I guess many of you can guess from it’s appearance that this was a korean version of Mochi rice cake. It is a popular Korean snack during winter months.
This is also a popular gift for wishing someone good luck. Chapssaltteok dough is made with glutinous rice, so it has a soft and chewy texture. And, inside is filled with sweet red bean paste, so it’s described as red bean mochi.
Juk 죽 (Porridge)
Juk means porridge in Korean, so no doubt this one is Korean version of porridge. It’s a really popular comfort food during the winter, and known as great warmer to beat the winter season. It’s also inexpensive and easy to make, everyone can make it at home.
However, if you want to buy it, I wrote about Bonjuk Myeongdong where you can find delicious korean porridge in Seoul. The signature options for korean porridge is red bean porridge. Make sure you try one when you visit Seoul.
Dakgangjeong (Korean Popcorn Chicken)
Korean popcorn chicken (Dakgangjeong, 닭강정) is a popular Korean street snack in Korea, I believe you already tried this somewhere either in korea or your own country. This chicken is deep fried and coated with Korea’s spicy and sweet sauce. This is a really good simple fillings food when you need an instant gratifications for your hungry stomach.
Odeng-guk 오뎅국
Odeng is a fish cake soup that is really popular in South Korea, especially during Winter season and cold temperature. Odeng is actually the pair of Tteokbokki. You will eat Odeng while order Tteokbokki as well.
Odeng is at its best when it’s skewered on a stick, soaked in broth, and consumed outside on a chilly evening in late fall or winter season. The taste is wholesome and hearty, and its texture comes from the blend of fish and grain that it’s made of.
Odeng is of Japanese origin and the word “odeng” itself comes from the Japanese word “oden.” There’s a Korean word for it too – eomok. This street snack will only cost you KRW 1,000 per skewer.
Hotteok (Korean Pancake)
Hotteok is a popular Korean street food that’s essentially pancakes filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts and seeds. Same like the other, this food is actually also origniated from China, which known as shao bing in Chinese. It was brought into Korea during the Qing Dynasty when Chinese merchants come to do some trading in Korea.
It taste chewy inside and crispy bite outside when it’s fried. It has various flavors, but honey and brown sugar are the most mainstream taste people ordered.
Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki is a total must try for all people all over the world. Actually we all know that this one is the most famous korean street food, Tteokbokki. Tteokbokki is a spicy rice cakes with gochujang sauce. The rice cakes are chewy and the sauce is sweet and spicy.
Hoppang 호빵 (Steamed Bun)
Hoppang is a great choice for those health conservative person, especially because it’s more healthier korean winter street foor you can buy only for less than 1,500 KRW. You can go to convenience stores to pick some of Hoppang from their warmers.
While as you see on the picture above, all Hoppang look the same, but actually inside there are a various fillings such as vegetable, curry, pizza, and others inside it to fit your own preference.
Korean Fried Chicken
Korean Fried Chicken is really famous and served as daily food among koreans. It consists of tender, small chicken pieces coated in spicy honey sauces, sesame seeds, garlic, peanuts, and chili flakes. Korean fried chicken tastes even better with beer (maekju).
Hodugwaja 호두과자 (Korean Walnut Pastry)
Hodugwaja (호두과자) is a walnut shaped cookie or better known as Korean walnut cake or cookie. It is filled with sweetened red bean paste and small chunky walnuts. The taste of Korean walnut pastry is quite similar to Korean fish shaped pastry – bunggeoppang (붕어빵).
So these is the list of 15 Korean Street Food that will help you beat the cold during winter season in South Korea. Let us know which one do you like? or you have another choice? Many of them are hard to find abroad, that’s why make sure you try it when you travel south korea.
