South Korea is a destination not to be missed if you want to discover a different aspect of Korean gastronomy: street-food. On most streets in South Korean cities, especially the streets of Seoul, there are always food stalls everywhere you can buy food. Indeed, it’s a great way to explore local flavors. It should be noted that it is during the evening that the street foods are in full swing. You can either eat while sitting in a tent, or roam the street with takeout food.

 

Food, like other aspects of Korean culture, combines both traditional Korean and international cuisine. Regarding Korean dishes, these are more or less spicy. Among those that I appreciated, and the best known:

 

Bi Bim Bap

A must in South Korea, especially if you visit the city of Jeongju where it originates. It is a mixture of rice, meat, sautéed vegetables, and an egg. the Korean barbecue, based on a hot plate system in the center of the table. They heat pieces of meat, and possibly side dishes like onion or mushrooms. The whole is accompanied by seasoned vegetables, more or less spicy. Bi bim bap, typical dish to eat during a trip to South Korea Bi bim bap, typical Korean dish Korean dishes are usually served with kimchi. 

 

Galbi-jjim

A dish of steamed pieces of beef.

 

Yukhoe

Korean-style beef tartare, with small pieces of pear.

 

Kimchi

Kimchi is a piece of fermented vegetable (cabbage in general) and spicy. It is widely used in Korean cuisine, and we sometimes see in the villages this kimchi.

 

The tteokbokki

The tteokbokki is very popular in South Korea. It’s a tteok appetizer, a sticky rice cake in the shape of a stick. It is often accompanied by different ingredients according to your preferences: minced meat, hard-boiled eggs, vegetables, etc. Then, we bathe everything in a reddish spicy sauce with a few condiments such as chives and sesame seeds.

​

Korean sundea

For offal or blood sausage lovers, sundea is the food for you. You will surely find them in Korean street foods. It consists of cow or pork intestines mixed with various ingredients such as small vegetables, noodles, sticky rice or transparent vermicelli, all incorporated inside the casings of pigs or beef. The sausage is then cooked or boiled in steam. This dish is eaten at the same time as the tteokbokki.

 

The tornado potato

Tornado potato are fried potato skewers in a spiral shape, with a sausage in the center. For more flavor, you can dip the skewers in an aromatic assortment such as cheese powder or chili. It can also be eaten like a hot dog with ketchup and mustard.

 

The sannakji

Sannakji is a very popular Korean dish that is actually raw octopus simply seasoned with lemon juice. The octopus is especially one of the treasures of the sea in Korea. You will be amazed when the cook cuts the octopus, still moving, before your eyes. The sannakji is then served on a plate or in cardboard cups, decorated with a few salad leaves.

 

Korean dishes are also served more or less spicy, peppers being generally shelved in a dome. You are free to eat it or not ... Last point: as often in Asia, we eat with chopsticks. So if you are traveling with small children, bring your fork with you just in case.

​

Non alcoholic

All sodas and colas are present on the Korean market, but it is absolutely necessary to taste green tea from local production because it goes very well with all meals.

 

Alcoholic

Aside from beer, soju (sweet potato alcohol) is the most popular and least expensive of the alcoholic beverages. We recommend the distilled spirits made from fermented rice (cheongju) or plum (maeshliju), less harsh than the previous one. There is also a medicinal wine made from ginseng in the country, but, to be honest, we haven't tasted it.

​