International tastes drive street food tourism in Korea

Like many other cities around the world, the streets of the South Korean capital are filled with street snacks that are suitable for the festive season, according to Nikkei Asia. Street food in Seoul has come a long way since the 1960s.

Hàn Quốc phát triển du lịch ẩm thực đường phố thăng hạng theo thời gian - Ảnh 1. — Illustration photo. Source: Nikkei

Roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes are still popular winter foods in Korea, but over time, Korean street food has adapted new forms and flavors to suit the tastes of tourists around the world. Especially the appearance of foreign ingredients in traditional Korean dishes such as tteokbokki rice cakes filled with cheese and corn cakes stuffed with meat and mozzarella cheese. Cooking habits have also changed over time, with people using gas stoves for a long time, replacing the charcoal or wood-fired grills of years past.

Street food has always held an important place in Korean culture, especially when it comes to the participation of the country's leaders or major corporations. In December, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol was seen enjoying tteokbokki and eomuk (fish cakes) from a street stall in Busan, South Korea's second-largest city, along with top business "giants" including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. This is also a way for the country to promote its cuisine to the world more.

Promoting food through dramas and K-pop

The popularity of Korean cuisine has been fueled by growing international interest in Korean culture through K-pop and films and TV series like Netflix's "Squid Game," which introduced the world to Korean sugary candies. Known in Korea as dalgona, these candies are widely sold as street snacks.

Dalgona is made from granulated sugar and baking soda, melted and spread thinly to print various shapes.

Yoon Young-soon, who has been making the famous dalgona candy in the Seoul suburb of Myeongdong for 24 years, said the TV show has had a significant impact on the number of foreign tourists buying the candy at her shop.

"After the movie Squid Game, I got more foreign customers. Korean sugar candy has become my livelihood. I'm happy to be able to continue selling this candy," said Yoon Young-Soon.

Additionally, many foreign visitors to Seoul now make their way to the bustling streets of Myeongdong, which has become a street food mecca.

"My friends and I went to Myeongdong to shop as well as to try different street foods. With hundreds of stalls to choose from, we enjoyed all the dishes that we saw actors enjoying on Korean TV shows," said Wang Cong, a tourist from China.

Street vendors also strive to improve the quality of the food they sell, such as makgeolli, a cloudy rice wine often paired with fried foods, and soju, which comes in a distinctive green bottle and is especially popular with meat dishes.

Another great place to enjoy street food in Seoul is Gwangjang Market, one of the oldest markets in Seoul, where vendors sell everything from textiles and upholstery to imported sweets. The highlight of the market, however, is the cooked food section, which is lined with makeshift food stalls that offer a culinary haven. The variety of food available is so vast that it’s easy to find something here.

Street foods you should try when coming to Korea

In Busan, Nampodong International Market, also known as Gukje Market, is a great place to sample local street food. Multteok, also known as mulodeng by locals, is a type of skewered rice cake cooked in fish broth. Multteok is often enjoyed with fish cakes to absorb the flavor of the broth.

Among the street foods in Korea, Bungeo-ppang is also very popular in Korea. Bungeo-ppang is traditionally filled with red bean paste but can now be found with fillings such as chocolate, custard cream, and sweet potato mousse.

Although this dish is often sold on the streets in winter, food companies also produce new versions so that diners can microwave or cook the dish in a fryer when they take it home.

Hotteok is also available, which is a flattened and fried pancake filled with fillings. Sweet versions are filled with sugar, cinnamon and sometimes peanuts. Versions with cornstarch or green tea can also be found. Hotteok are usually folded in half and served in a paper cup, ready to eat while still hot. Patience may be required, however. The average wait time at a popular hotteok cart in Seoul’s Namdaemun Market is over an hour.

Another street food is Bindae-tteok, a Korean-style pancake made from ground mung beans. Bindae-tteok is especially popular among families during Korean holidays such as Chuseok (harvest thanksgiving) and Seolnal, or Lunar New Year.

And Tteokbokki can be made in many ways, but the most popular version includes a spicy sauce made from gochujang. There is also a non-spicy version that includes ground beef, pine nuts, and sesame seeds, seasoned with ganjang (soy sauce), and was served in the royal court during Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897). As a street food, tteokbokki can also be enjoyed with skewered eomuk fish cakes./.

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