USAC Gwangju, Korea alumna Melissa Beals shares her favorite Korean foods.
I love Korean food. If you’re in the mood for something spicy, there are dozens of options. If you want something sweet, you’ll never run out of great snacks and desserts. The biggest problem is deciding what to eat first!
Here are my top 5 foods to try in Korea:
Bindaetteok (fried mung bean pancake)
If you dream of salty, crunchy, fried goodness eaten piping-hot while walking through a Korean market, this is the food for you. The exact ingredients vary, so you might find your bindaetteok with anything from kimchi to pork belly to vegetables inside.
Gamjatang (spicy pork bone soup)
Gamjatang is a spicy, hearty soup made from pork bones, potatoes, green onions, and Korean chili peppers. It’s perfect served with rice and a few banchan (Korean side dishes). It’s also the number one food on my list to eat when I go back to Korea. Is it normal to dream about a soup?
Godeungeo gui (grilled mackerel)
Eating godeungeo gui in Korea is more than just grilled fish on your plate — it’s an entire meal with rice, sauces, fresh and fermented vegetables, and maybe even a soup on the side. You can eat it ssam style, which is where you fill a lettuce leaf with some rice, fish, and whatever other sauces or toppings you want, and then eat the whole thing in one bite.
Triangle gimbap (Korean sushi)
Gimbap refers to rice and filling rolled up inside a sheet of seaweed. My favorite version is shaped like a triangle and is easily found at any convenience store in Korea. Popular fillings are tuna mayo and chicken kimchi.
Tanghulu
Tanghulu is fruit on a skewer that’s coated in a crunchy sugar glaze. While it was one of my favorite desserts to eat in Korea, it’s actually a Chinese creation. The tangerine, grape, and strawberry options are my favorites, but there’s even a cherry tomato version.
Runner Ups: Korean BBQ, ramen, and tteokbokki
Grill your own samgyeopsal (pork belly) at Korean BBQ and enjoy it ssam style, head to a convenience store for a quick ramen dinner, or try tteokbokki (rice cakes in spicy sauce) from a street vendor.
These are major classics when it comes to Korean food, and they’re so popular that you can even find them in the U.S.
Melissa Beals studied abroad in Gwangju, South Korea at Chonnam National University for the 2023-2024 academic year. While in Korea, she made it a priority to explore as much of the country as possible and visited over 10 cities in total. She dreams of moving to Korea one day and eating lots of bindaetteok and gamjatang again.
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