Seoul’s Soul in Street Food
There’s something about street food. It’s always there, everywhere. Especially when you need it the most, but do not have time to cook or sit down for a meal. In fact, quick eats served by friendly, quirky street vendors in heated stalls or carts come in pretty handy when you need a quick bite between classes or shifts. But I also believe street food reflects on the character of its particular city, it’s demographic and their favorite ingredients. Here in Seoul, Korea, for example, fish, chicken, pork, rice, beans, tofu, red pepper and bread, etc., according to my observations, are common food staples in most households and sit-down restaurants; and, in my opinion, the street food here reflects Korea’s food culture rather festively. In Seoul, street food usually greets commuters around bus and train stations, as well as shoppers in open-air markets. Here are a few of the most tantalizingly popular bites from Gireum Station and Jeongneung Market, a few blocks from where I cook my family meals!
붕어빵 (Boongobbang) are crispy, waffle-like pastries filled with red bean or custard. They are made by pouring batter and custom fillings into mostly fish-shaped iron molds. One of my personal favorites!
김밥 (Kimbap), or seaweed rice rolls, are sometimes served with fried dumplings or Korean tempura sweet potato, as pictured here. However, kimbap rolls are most often served pre-sliced in larger foil-wrapped packages for a quick and marginally nutritious “McDinner.” Very popular with high school and college students on-the-go.
Scallion soup is often served as a side-dish to most meals, both in sit-down restaurants and from street vendor carts. You can also have it to-go (pochang) in either a paper/Styrofoam cup or a plastic bag.
떡볶이 (Ddokbokki), or rice cake in pepper sauce, is an ideal quick-eat for those with a penchant for the hot and spicy.
오뎅 (Odeng), or fishcake, can be served in many ways. But from the vendor carts, it is most popularly served piping hot on wooden skewers. Note: some odeng vendors require customers to return their wooden skewers after finishing—usually those waiting at the bus stops.
오뎅 (Odeng) in nugget form is often eaten with chopsticks along with rice.
Of course, there are many, many more varieties of street food to be found and enjoyed here in Seoul. But now, on your next trip, you will know what to look for, expect and hopefully, try out!
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I miss Seoul street food so much! Delicious. Now I’m hungry