Top 10 Korean Street Foods

Hotteok are sweet, pan-fried dough pancakes filled with brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and chopped peanuts, originating from Chinese-Korean culinary traditions in the late 19th century. They are a winter staple sold at street stalls across Korea and have been featured prominently in K-dramas, driving tourism to famous hotteok vendors in Busan's Nampo-dong district.

Often described as Korean sushi rolls, kimbap consists of steamed rice and various fillings — such as pickled radish, egg, spinach, and crab stick — rolled in dried seaweed (gim). Unlike Japanese maki, kimbap uses sesame oil rather than vinegar in the rice, giving it a distinctly Korean flavor profile; it is sold at bunsik (snack) restaurants and convenience stores throughout the country.

Fish cake skewers simmered in a light, savory broth, odeng is a quintessential cold-weather street snack consumed standing at outdoor stalls. The broth itself is served free of charge as a warm drink alongside the skewers, a uniquely Korean street food tradition, and the dish appears in countless K-drama comfort food scenes.

Twigim refers to Korean-style deep-fried street foods including sweet potato, squash, shrimp, and mandu (dumplings) battered and fried to order at pojangmacha stalls. It is commonly served alongside tteokbokki, with diners dipping the crispy items into the spicy rice cake sauce for a classic Korean street food pairing.

The Korean corn dog, also known as gamja hotdog ("potato hot dog"), is a globally viral street food coated in a thick batter mixed with rice flour, rolled in sugar and french-fried potato pieces or ramen noodles, and deep-fried. Chains like Myungrang Hot Dog and Two Two Chicken popularized this format internationally, with Korean corn dog shops opening in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and across Europe.

Sundae (순대) is a traditional Korean dish of intestine casings stuffed with glass noodles, barley, and coagulated blood, steamed and served with salt and chili pepper flakes. Despite its unconventional ingredients by Western standards, sundae is a beloved comfort street food in Korea with origins stretching back centuries, and is commonly sold alongside tteokbokki and odeng.

Pajeon are crispy, savory Korean pancakes packed with green onions and often mixed with seafood such as squid, shrimp, and oysters to create haemul pajeon. They are traditionally eaten on rainy days — a cultural association so strong that Korean retailers report measurable spikes in pajeon ingredient sales whenever it rains — and are best enjoyed with makgeolli (rice wine).

Bungeo-ppang are fish-shaped waffle pastries filled with sweet red bean paste, sold from specialized cast-iron molds by street vendors during autumn and winter. A beloved seasonal comfort food, bungeo-ppang vendors are a nostalgic fixture in Korean cities and their appearance in early November signals the start of the cold season for many Koreans.

Dakgalbi is a spicy stir-fried chicken dish marinated in gochujang and mixed with rice cakes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and scallions, traditionally cooked at the table on a large iron griddle. Chuncheon in Gangwon Province is the spiritual home of dakgalbi, drawing food tourists who visit the city's famous "Dakgalbi Alley" of over 50 dedicated restaurants.

Hotteok are sweet, pan-fried dough pancakes filled with brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and chopped peanuts, originating from Chinese-Korean culinary traditions in the late 19th century. They are a winter staple sold at street stalls across Korea and have been featured prominently in K-dramas, driving tourism to famous hotteok vendors in Busan's Nampo-dong district.

Often described as Korean sushi rolls, kimbap consists of steamed rice and various fillings — such as pickled radish, egg, spinach, and crab stick — rolled in dried seaweed (gim). Unlike Japanese maki, kimbap uses sesame oil rather than vinegar in the rice, giving it a distinctly Korean flavor profile; it is sold at bunsik (snack) restaurants and convenience stores throughout the country.

Fish cake skewers simmered in a light, savory broth, odeng is a quintessential cold-weather street snack consumed standing at outdoor stalls. The broth itself is served free of charge as a warm drink alongside the skewers, a uniquely Korean street food tradition, and the dish appears in countless K-drama comfort food scenes.

Twigim refers to Korean-style deep-fried street foods including sweet potato, squash, shrimp, and mandu (dumplings) battered and fried to order at pojangmacha stalls. It is commonly served alongside tteokbokki, with diners dipping the crispy items into the spicy rice cake sauce for a classic Korean street food pairing.

The Korean corn dog, also known as gamja hotdog ("potato hot dog"), is a globally viral street food coated in a thick batter mixed with rice flour, rolled in sugar and french-fried potato pieces or ramen noodles, and deep-fried. Chains like Myungrang Hot Dog and Two Two Chicken popularized this format internationally, with Korean corn dog shops opening in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and across Europe.

Sundae (순대) is a traditional Korean dish of intestine casings stuffed with glass noodles, barley, and coagulated blood, steamed and served with salt and chili pepper flakes. Despite its unconventional ingredients by Western standards, sundae is a beloved comfort street food in Korea with origins stretching back centuries, and is commonly sold alongside tteokbokki and odeng.

Pajeon are crispy, savory Korean pancakes packed with green onions and often mixed with seafood such as squid, shrimp, and oysters to create haemul pajeon. They are traditionally eaten on rainy days — a cultural association so strong that Korean retailers report measurable spikes in pajeon ingredient sales whenever it rains — and are best enjoyed with makgeolli (rice wine).

Bungeo-ppang are fish-shaped waffle pastries filled with sweet red bean paste, sold from specialized cast-iron molds by street vendors during autumn and winter. A beloved seasonal comfort food, bungeo-ppang vendors are a nostalgic fixture in Korean cities and their appearance in early November signals the start of the cold season for many Koreans.

Dakgalbi is a spicy stir-fried chicken dish marinated in gochujang and mixed with rice cakes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and scallions, traditionally cooked at the table on a large iron griddle. Chuncheon in Gangwon Province is the spiritual home of dakgalbi, drawing food tourists who visit the city's famous "Dakgalbi Alley" of over 50 dedicated restaurants.