If you’re thinking about visiting South Korea in the winter, be prepared for deathly cold temperatures in Seoul. The rest of the country will also be cold but Seoul is especially freezing compared to other locations like Busan and Jeju.
Thick coats and hot packs will help you survive the freezing weather, but you’ll also need some warm, mouth-watering and hearty food to help you along the way. Here are 15 scrumptious dishes you should try on your next winter trip to Seoul!
1. Hotteok – 호떡 (Korean Sweet Pancakes)
These tasty sweet pancakes were introduced to Korea by Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century and are now one of the most popular street food snacks in Korea, especially in winter.
They’re normally made with dark brown sugar, cinnamon powder & some grounded nuts or seeds but savoury pancakes made with ingredients such as vegetable, Kimchi, Bulgogi or cheese) are also available.
Hotteok personally saved me from freezing after I visited Namsan Tower in early January without any hot packs.
Where to order:
Teolbo’s Hotteok
Ssamji-gil, Insa-dong, Jongo-gu, Seoul
Yangja Hotteok
45-57, Hoegi-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul
Samcheongdong Hotteok,
138-16, Hwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Sambodang
48-1 Insadong-gil, Jongo-gu, Seoul
2. Bungeoppang – 붕어빵 (Goldfish Bread)
This snack doesn’t contain any fish despite its name. Instead, it’s filled with hot and creamy red bean paste (which you’ll find in a lot of Korean baked goods) encased in a goldfish-shaped crispy pastry shell. You can also buy custard-filled bungeoppang. There’s a variation of this snack called “ingeoppang,” too, which includes bean paste, vegetables and cream.
My work colleagues used to bring these to work for everyone to eat during the winter months, which made me look forward to going to work.
Bungeoppang is normally sold in groups of three, so they’ll definitely keep you warm in the colder winter months.
Where to order:
Hyochangdong Bungeoppang
5-52, Hyochang-dong, Seoul
You can find more Bungeoppang locations by downloading the “ 3,000 won in my jacket” IOS app.
3. Gunbam – 군밤 (Roasted Chestnuts)
You can pretty much find these simple roasted chestnuts anywhere during the winter months in Korea, so they’re great to eat and keep you warm. My colleagues also used to bring these to share during the colder months.
Where to order:
You can usually find them sold near traditional markets such as Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market.
4. Gun-Goguma – 군고구마 (Roasted Sweet Potatoes)
Roasted Sweet Potatoes are another simple snack to feast on during the winter. Some even consider gungoguma a representative winter snack. They’re one of my personal favourite Korean snacks as they remind me of certain Jamaican dishes my grandma used to cook.
They may be a little messy to eat because you have to peel the sweet potato skin to get to the yummy flesh inside, but they’re a healthy snack that’ll definitely keep you warm.
Where to order:
You can also find these near traditional markets.
5. Tteokbokki – 떡볶이 (Spicy Stir-Fried Rice Cakes)
If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth then tteokbokki is the perfect winter food for you. These spicy rice cakes are popular throughout the whole year, making them one of the most well-known Korean dishes.
Spicy snacks are known to make you sweat, so you’ll get a lot of warmth from the dish itself as well as the effects of its spiciness.
Where to order:
Jeontu Tteokbokki
36-4 Wausan- ro 21-gil , Mapo-gu, Seoul
Jakeun Gonggan
31 Nambuhwan- ro 359-gil , Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Tteokdoritang
817-14, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Sinsegye Tteokbokki
10, Myeongdong 9-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04538 South Korea
6. Odeng – 오뎅 (Fish Cake)
If you love seafood, then you’ll love this Korean winter snack made of flour and fish. The flavourful, steaming hot broth they’re made in will surely keep you warm when you’re out in the cold. I stumbled across this snack while I was walking around Hongdae at night, and it filled me up and made me forget it was cold outside.
Where to buy:
Gwangjang Market
88 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Myeong-dong
Myeong-dong Station (Exit 5/6/7/8), Jung-gu, Seoul
Namdaemun Market
21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Namchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
7. Gyeranppang – 계란빵 (Egg Bread)
Gyeranppang is a popular street food you can find at Myeongdong Market. It’s similar to savoury French toast but instead of soaking bread in egg and then frying it, an egg is placed on top of a slice of toasted bread and is then cooked.
If you’re an egg fan, then you’ll really love this steamy hot egg bread. What’s even better is that it’s pretty cheap to buy.
Where to order:
Hongdae
Hongdae Station (Exit 9), Hongik-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Myeong-dong
Myeong-dong Station(Exit 5/6/7/8), Myeongdong-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
8. Kimchi Jjigae – 김치 찌개 (Kimchi Stew)
Any Korean stew is great to eat during the winter, but Kimchi Jjigae’s mix of cabbage kimchi, tofu, cellophane noodles, pork or tuna, and vegetables, served with rice makes it one of the best to eat.
Where to order:
Eunjujeong
32, Changgyeonggung-ro 8-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04546 South Korea
Gonaengji
110-15 Daehyeon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Sajikgol
100, Sogong-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04532 South Korea
9. Budae Jjigae – 부대찌개 (Army Stew)
Korea has several dishes influenced by other country’s cuisine, such as Jajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk, which were introduced to the country thanks to Chinese immigrants. This includes Buda Jjigae (or army stew), which created using surplus food supplies form US Army bases after the Korean war.
This spicy, delicious meal full of ingredients that may not be so healthy, it’ll will leave you feeling full and satisfied and full, which make it a great Korean winter food.
Where to order:
Daewoo Budaejjigae
641-18, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Gonaengji
110-15, Daehyeon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
Mamabujji
206-19, Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul
10. Juk- 죽 (Porridge)
Before I came to Korea, I thought that porridge was only made with oats, but I soon found out this wasn’t the case when my boss invited me to lunch at a porridge restaurant. The main ingredient is rice, but juk can have many different ingredients such as meat, vegetables etc. There’s also a sweet variant of this dish made with red bean paste.
The best thing about this dish is that it’s easy and inexpensive to make at home if you don’t fancy going out to eat at a restaurant.
Where to order:
Ojugine,156, Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
11. Mandutguk 만둣국 (dumpling soup)
Koreans often start the New Year with a bowl of mandu-guk, so it’s definitely one of the best Korean foods to try during the winter. The hearty soup, packed full of delectable dumplings, kimchi, meat or seafood, will definitely keep you warm during the winter.
Where to order:
Kkangtong Mandu
5-6 Bukchon-ro 2-gil, Jae-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Pyeongando Mandu Jip
167, Naesu-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Daewoo Complex B1
Nambuk Tongil
375-26, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
12.Tteokguk 떡국 (Rice Cake Soup)
Tteokguk’s another soup you can try during the colder months in Seoul. It’s traditionally eaten during the Korean New Year (Lunar New Year), but you can eat it all year round.
If you can’t choose between Tteokguk and Mandutguk, then you can always try tteongmandutguk (떡만둣국), which has dumplings and rice-cakes in it.
Where to order:
Jaha Sonmandu
245-2, Buam-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
13. Hodu-Gwaja – 호두과자 (Walnut Cookies)
These walnut cookies, invented in 1934 by a young couple from Cheonan, are a staple winter food in South Korea. They first were only available in Cheonan, but became available in other parts of the country in the 1970s.
Nowadays, you’ll often find them in Korean truck stops and street food stalls in Seoul and other parts of the country. However, the original Cheonan hodu-gwaja is a local speciality.
They’re made of a walnut shell prepared with a thin walnut-based batter and a filling combined with pieces of walnuts and sweet red bean paste. You can enjoy plenty of these bite-sized treats alone, or with your friends and family.
Where to order:
Hodukkagihodugwaja
366-9, Sindang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Haghwahodugwaja
1542-1, Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul
Homilhodu
394-55, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
14. Dolsot Bibimbap– 돌솥 비빔밥 (Stone Bowl Mixed Rice)
Bimbap is one of Korea’s most popular dishes. While regular bibimbap is also good to eat during winter, the hot stone bowl version is an upgrade for several reasons.
First, a raw egg, instead of a fried one, is dropped on top of the meal, which you can mix together with the other ingredients to make a delicious and healthy egg fried rice. Moreover, after finishing the majority of the meal, you can create an appetising snack or rice drink by either peeling the rice that sticks to the edge of the bowl off or adding water to the empty bowl.
Where to order:
Gogung
12-14, Chungmuro-2-ga Jung-gu, Seoul
Jeonju Jungang Hoekwan
24-11, Chungmuro-1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
15. Kalguksu – 칼국수 (Knife Noodle Soup)
Korean cuisine features tons of noodle soups in Korea, but kalguksu is one of the best. This dish’s noodles are chunky because they’re hand-cut and not spun, which gives the steaming broth a hearty and rich texture. Other ingredients might include ground beef, shellfish, chicken, cilantro or some vegetables.
Where to order:
Myeongdong Kyoja
29 Myeongdong 10-gil, Myeongdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul
Chanyangjip
5, Donhwamun-ro 11da-gil, Jongno gu, Seoul
Kalguksu alley
42-1, Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
16. Samgyeopsal – 삼겹살 (Grilled Pork Belly BBQ)
There are several kinds of meat and foods you can eat at a Korean barbecue but Samgyeopsal is one of the best, if not the best! The succulent pieces of pork belly dipped in ssamjang sauce and wrapped in perilla or lettuce leaves are a great treat to eat.
Going to a Korean BBQ restaurant, even if you don’t order samgyeopsal, is also a great way to escape the cold, because you’ll literally be sat in front of a hot grill that you’ll use to cook the food you ordered yourself, which will act as a heater.
You can also order a ton of different foods other than pork belly at these restaurants – there are all-you-can-eat options, which are perfect for those with big appetites.
Where to order:
Gimjin Moksam
154, Pilun-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Yukjeon Siksang
823-10, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Hanlim Donga
52-124, Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 1F
Conclusion
Winter in Seoul may be absurdly cold, but these hearty and tasty dishes will surely keep you warm. You’ll find them in other places all over South Korea as well.
