Thursday, October 9, 2014

Late Night Bites: Gwangjang Market



We wrapped up our second night in Seoul with some late night food at Gwangjang Market. It is one of the largest daily traditional markets in Korea, selling a variety of clothing, silk goods and hand-made crafts. However, this market is most known for its food alleys which cross through the market. Stalls and booths easily fill the entire corridor with a variety of food and if that isn't enticing enough, the food stands are open seven days a week. Just pick a bench, sit down and order your favorite food!

Twigim (fried snacks-튀김 ) are a popular choice with locals and tourists alike. A variety of meat, vegetables, kimchi and other food are dipped into a batter and then deep fried. We didn't get a chance to try a lot of them, but they looked yummy!

The counters were full with food that had just been cooked--it was so much fun to watch the owners cook the food right in front of you! ^^

There isn't a whole lot of space in these types of food alleys, but the food is more than worth bumping elbows with someone :) 

We went during Chuseok so the alleys weren't very crowded, but it was still an extraordinary experience :]

Gimbap (김밥) is another perfect example of Korean street food. Easy to make and easy to eat on the go, this popular snack can be seen at virtually every street vendor. All you need is rice, seaweed and one or two fillings :] Ours had carrots and takuan with a light sprinkle of sesame seeds. 

Each order of gimbap came with a wasabi-like sauce in a bowl lined with a plastic bag. 




Bindaetteok (mungbean pancakes--빈대떡) are one of the most popular street foods. They are made from ground mungbeans which are added to a batter and then fried on a skillet. While the basic recipe can be seen at most street vendors, they can differ depending on the foods that are put in such as kimchi or bean sprouts. We split an order between ourselves and it was more than enough with all the other food that we ate!



Japchae (잡채) is made from sweet potato noodles and stir-fried in sesame oil with a variety of vegetables. The recipe is usually tweaked, depending on the vendor, but ours was kept nice and simple :] Very flavorful, but not heavy, this tasty dish was one of my favorites ^^


What's your favorite Korean street food? Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful week! :) 


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