15 Korean Street Foods You Must Try

A Feast for the Senses: 15 Common Korean Street Foods You Must Try

Korean street food is an essential part of the country’s vibrant culture. From savory pancakes to sweet ice cream, every dish tells a story and offers a unique taste of Korea’s culinary history. Here’s your guide to 15 must-try common Korean street foods, complete with where to find them, fun facts, and recipes to inspire your own culinary adventures—or at least to show you what goes into these iconic dishes.

TravelGlaze Warning

Did you know I’m probably the worst recipe writer in the world? I don’t understand cooking, and honestly, I don’t enjoy it either. So why did I include recipes here? Simply to give you an idea of what ingredients you’ll encounter in these dishes. If you’re serious about recreating Korean street food, I highly recommend finding a dedicated cooking site instead. Trust me—you’ll thank me later.

TravelGlaze Tip

I have a rule I’ve followed for years when it comes to street food: Don’t eat anything you can still recognize. So when it came to the last dish on this list—Sannakji (live octopus)—I had to sit this one out. Watching the wriggling tentacles on the plate was enough to convince me that this delicacy is better left to the truly adventurous foodies!

1. Tteokbokki (떡볶이)

Spicy, chewy rice cakes in sweet and spicy sauce

🛑 Where to find it: Night markets like Gwangjang Market in Seoul or BIFF Square in Busan.
🎉 Fun fact: Tteokbokki was once a royal dish, but it transformed into street food in the 1950s thanks to vendors experimenting with spicy gochujang sauce.

How it’s made:

1. Boil rice cakes in water mixed with gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic.
2. Add fish cakes (or other kinds of meat or poultry) and simmer until the sauce thickens.

2. Gimbap (김밥)

Seaweed rice rolls filled with fresh veggies and protein

🛑 Where to find it: Every street market, train station, and local convenience store.
🎉 Fun fact: Gimbap is often packed for picnics and is considered a symbol of sharing in Korean culture.

How it’s made:

1. Spread cooked rice seasoned with sesame oil on a sheet of seaweed.
2. Add egg, spinach, carrots, and pickled radish as fillings.
3. Roll tightly, slice into pieces, and enjoy!

3. Odeng (오뎅)

Fish cake skewers served with hot broth

🛑 Where to find it: Street food stalls, especially during the colder months.
🎉 Fun fact: You can often enjoy unlimited broth refills at Odeng stalls—it’s a street food tradition.

How it’s made:

1. Simmer fish cakes in a broth made with kelp, radish, and soy sauce.
2. Serve the fish cakes on skewers with a bowl of the warm broth.

4. Bungeoppang (붕어빵)

Fish-shaped pastry with a sweet filling

🛑 Where to find it: Winter markets and popular intersections.
🎉 Fun fact: “Bungeo” means carp, though the pastry has no fish—it’s all about red bean or custard filling!

How it’s made:

1. Pour batter into a fish-shaped mold.
2. Add red bean paste or custard filling, cover with more batter, and cook until golden.

5. Mandu (만두)

Korean dumplings, steamed or pan-fried

🛑 Where to find it: Street markets, restaurants, and even frozen at convenience stores.
🎉 Fun fact: Mandu is a Lunar New Year tradition, often served in a soup for good luck.

How it’s made:

1. Fill dumpling wrappers with a mix of ground pork, garlic, cabbage, and green onions.
2. Fold, seal, and either steam or pan-fry until golden.

6. Gamja Hot Dog (감자 핫도그)

Corn dog coated with diced potatoes

🛑 Where to find it: Shopping streets like Myeongdong in Seoul.
🎉 Fun fact: Koreans often sprinkle sugar over this savory snack for a sweet-and-savory twist!

How it’s made:

1. Coat a hot dog in batter, press diced potatoes onto it, and deep-fry until crispy.
2. Drizzle with ketchup, mustard, or sugar as desired.

7. Twigim (튀김)

Korean-style tempura (fried vegetables or seafood)

🛑 Where to find it: Night markets and alongside Tteokbokki stalls.
🎉 Fun fact: Squid Twigim is a crowd favorite, often dipped into spicy Tteokbokki sauce for extra flavor.

How it’s made:

1. Dip vegetables or seafood in batter made from flour, egg, and water.
2. Deep-fry until golden and crispy.

8. Corn Cheese (콘치즈)

Sweet corn with melted cheese and mayonnaise

🛑 Where to find it: Night markets, BBQ restaurants, and izakayas.
🎉 Fun fact: This dish started as a side at pizza chains but became a street food hit.

How it’s made:

1. Mix canned corn with mayonnaise and sugar.
2. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake until gooey.

9. Kimchi Jeon (김치전)

Savory pancake made with kimchi

🛑 Where to find it: Traditional markets and restaurants.
🎉 Fun fact: Kimchi Jeon is often referred to as “rainy day food” in Korea because the sizzling sound while cooking resembles raindrops.

How it’s made:

1. Mix chopped kimchi, flour, and water into a batter.
2. Pan-fry until crispy on the outside.

10. Honey Ice Cream

Soft-serve vanilla ice cream drizzled with honey

🛑 Where to find it: Popular tourist spots like Insadong and N Seoul Tower.
🎉 Fun fact: Some vendors add honeycomb for an extra luxurious twist!

How it’s made:

1. Serve vanilla soft-serve ice cream in a cone.
2. Drizzle with honey or top with honeycomb.

11. Marshmallow Ice Cream

Vanilla ice cream topped with a toasted marshmallow

🛑 Where to find it: Trendy streets like Hongdae or Dongdaemun.
🎉 Fun fact: Vendors use a dinosaur-shaped gas torch to toast the marshmallow, creating a fun spectacle!

How it’s made:

1. Scoop vanilla ice cream into a cone.
2. Top with a large marshmallow and toast lightly with a gas torch.

12. Glazed Strawberries (탕후루)

Strawberries coated in a hard sugar glaze

🛑 Where to find it: Night markets and street fairs.
🎉 Fun fact: Vendors often mix other fruits like grapes and tangerines for variety.

How it’s made:

1. Skewer strawberries.
2. Dip them in thick sugar syrup and let them cool to form a shiny glaze.

13. Cheese Pancake Coin Stick

Chewy pancakes filled with gooey mozzarella cheese

🛑 Where to find it: Food stalls at street markets.
🎉 Fun fact: The combination of sweet dough and savory cheese is uniquely Korean!

How it’s made:

1. Wrap pancake dough around cheese, shape into coins, and cook in a pan.
2. Serve on a stick for easy snacking.

14. Pajeon (파전)

Savory green onion pancake

🛑 Where to find it: Traditional restaurants and night markets.
🎉 Fun fact: Pajeon is best enjoyed with a glass of makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

How it’s made:

1. Mix green onions, flour, and water into a batter.
2. Pan-fry until golden and serve with soy dipping sauce.

15. Sannakji (산낙지)

Live octopus served freshly chopped and still moving

Sannakji is one of Korea’s most adventurous street food experiences. This dish features small octopus that is freshly chopped into bite-sized pieces, often served with a drizzle of sesame oil and seeds. The suction cups on the tentacles may still wriggle, making it both a daring and fascinating culinary challenge!

🛑 Where to find it: Fish markets like Noryangjin in Seoul or Jagalchi Market in Busan.
🎉 Fun fact: Sannakji is a symbol of Korean resilience, embodying the idea of eating food as fresh as possible. It’s said to give you strength and vitality.

How it’s made:

1. The octopus is cleaned and chopped into small pieces immediately before serving.
2. It’s plated with sesame oil and seeds, enhancing the natural flavor and texture.
3. Carefully chew each piece to enjoy the chewy, briny taste—and to ensure the tentacles don’t stick!