Korean Street Food 101: 12 Bites You Can’t Miss

The fastest way to understand Korea is to eat your way through a street market after dark. Here are the bites worth elbowing through the crowd for — cheap, fast, and gloriously messy.

Start spicy

Tteokbokki — chewy rice cakes in a sweet-and-fiery gochujang sauce — is the undisputed king. Add a twigim (tempura) and dip it in the sauce. Follow with hotteok, a syrup-filled pancake that’s basically a hug in food form.

Savory must-tries

• Gimbap — seaweed rice rolls, the perfect walking snack.
• Mandu — steamed or fried dumplings, juicy and addictive.
• Gyeran-ppang — a fluffy bread baked with a whole egg inside.
• Odeng — fish-cake skewers in warm broth, a winter staple.

Where to go

In Seoul, hit Gwangjang Market for the classics and Myeongdong for the photogenic stalls. In Busan, BIFF Square delivers. Bring cash, an empty stomach, and zero fear of pointing at whatever looks good.