Bungeoppang

Street food is a big part of Korean culture, especially in cities like Seoul.  The variety is amazing, and can change according to season.  Fried and deep-fried items are always popular and include bungeoppang (pictured above), a snack made of pancake batter filled with sweet red beans. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold and cooked in a waffle-iron.  Deep-fried hot dogs and french fries (pictured below), deepfried stuffed peppers and fried potatoes on a stick are also popular.

Deep fried hot dogs and french fries

Then there’s the food that’s not as enticing to Western palates such as jokbal (pictured below), steamed pigs’ feet cooked with a variety of sauces and spices. Bones are removed from the fully cooked jokbal, which is then served with fermented shrimp sauce. Koreans usually wrap the meat in lettuce to offset its greasiness.

Jokbal

Kids love cups of bundaegi, which are roasted and boiled silkworm pupae.  Here’s a picture below.  We’re not kidding about the kids loving them.

Bundaegi

USA Today has a slideshow if you’d like to see more Seoul food on the street, including dried squid and octopus (popular at baseball stadiums) and blood sausage. [USA Today].

Seoul street dessert

Much of the street food in Seoul comes in cups, which helps to contain any sauce it comes with.  It also gives you a place to rest your food to take a drink or a short break.  It may not be the most environmentally-friendly solution, but street vendors in Korea aren’t generally known for being green (with the exception of the green pastry shown above, which is deliciously described as a light pancake filled with a hot, sugary goo, composed of tiny bits of chestnut and cinnamon). [Marshall Astor]

Anyone know where I can get a cup of bulgogi?

Seoul street cart