10 Must Try Korean Snacks

Before I went to attend to some work-related travels two weeks ago (main reason why my blog was not updated from July 4 – 14, and again I’m currently out for another week and a half, but at least I have more spare time, I hope) I had dinner with my friends, and while waiting for our meal to be served, we were talking about exotic delicacies, street food we’ve each tried in our travels whether domestic or international. It crossed my mind that this would be an interesting topic for my blog but just have to give it some Korean color. Luckily, someone from the group mentioned some Korean street foods he had tried while visiting Korea sometime ago. So I just have to do some research about those he mentioned so I can put some meat into my blog and add a few more to make my list of 10 Must Try Korean Snacks.

As always, street food is not one for the faint-of-heart but it is for someone who is more of the adventurous type, one who is not scared to try something new. Why? because more often than not, street food offers exotic delicacies enjoyed by the locals in any area. Exotic in the sense that, things that you can’t ever imagine eating like worms, bugs, insects, and the like, actually finds its way in the menu of street vendors, and these are eaten with gusto.

In Korea, they call a street food vendor pojangmacha, which literally means “covered wagon”. Among the most popular Korean street food are:



Hobbang – a hot snack made of pre-cooked ball of rice flour filled with red bean paste, steamed in a warmer and sold in small shops and small convenient stores.

Hotteok – Korean filled pancakes usually eaten during the winter months. Handful-sized ball of stiff dough made from wheat, flour, water, milk, sugar and yeast which is allowed to rise for several hours, is stuffed with a mix of brown sugar, honey, chopped peanuts, and cinnamon, placed on a greased griddle, then pressed into a flat circle with a special tool with a stainless steel circle and wooden handle as it cooks. For those who don’t have the time to make the recipe at home or don’t have the time to buy them at their nearby pojangmacha, ready-to-cook hotteok is readily available in Korean supermarkets, together with its filling.

Beondegi – literally meaning chrysalis or pupa, are steamed or boiled silkworm pupae which are seasoned and eaten as a snack. Served not only by pojangmacha, this snack is also served in restaurants, drinking establishments, as well as in grocery stores.

Eomuk – boiled fish paste that commonly accompanies soju or other beverages. The eomuk is skewered before boiling in a broth and dipped first in soy sauce before eating. A soft snack with a fishy smell to it, the broth is sometimes given to the customer for dipping and drinking. During the colder months or in winter, it is actually sold as “Hotbar”, this is eomuk which is deep fried instead of boiled.


Twibap – literally means “popped rice” is a puffy cookie made from rice or corn.




Tteokbokki – made by broiling meat, vegetables, eggs, and seasonings in water, then topped with gingko nuts and walnuts before serving.

Bungeoppang are fish-shaped pastry normally filled with sweet red bean paste. The snack is made by pouring batter into a special appliance similar to a waffle-maker, that are shaped like fish, then adding the sweet the red bean paste and closed off with more batter. Another version of this snack is called Gukwappang which is floral in shape. A healthy and delicious snack or dessert, this comes in different fillings such as custard cream or ice cream but the traditional filling is the sweet red bean paste.

Gimbap – steamed white rice with meat and vegetables rolled in sheets of dried seaweed served in bite size portions and is usually served cold.

Oksusu cha which literally means corn tea, is a drink made from boiled roasted corn kernels and does not contain any tea leaves. It is prepared by thoroughly drying corn kernels and then roasted until it turns golden brown. The roasted corn is then brewed with boiling water until it turns pale yellow. The tea is then drained and the boiled corn discarded. This drink is also available in prepared tea bags.

Gyeongju bread – also known as Hwangnam bread, is pancake stuffed with sweet red bean paste, and is a local specialty of Gyeongju City.

Trying these snacks would seem to be a fun thing to do while in Korea.