Snacks from the bustling city streets

Appears in
Taste of Korea
Taste of Korea

By Young Jin Song

Published 2011

  • About
A dazzling range of snacks is available on every street corner in the bustling cities of Korea. Deep-fried golden fritters, succulent steamed dumplings and fishcake skewers are all eaten as quick snacks by busy passers-by, and for every culinary predilection there will be a street vendor to satisfy it.

Known as pojangmacha, these street vendors occupy small stands which sell a range of dishes, generally designed to be eaten standing up or on the go. Some stalls are permanent fixtures and have seating areas for the patrons, while others are mobile eateries that can easily be carried - or wheeled - to follow the crowds, while at night the streets are transformed with small tents that materialize to serve the hungry masses. These peddlers often have individually designed equipment to cook the particular delicacies they peddle, with different stands specializing in different types of dish. Spectacular contraptions take to the streets in the winter months as rickety carts transport homemade wood stoves around the busy metropolitan areas.