A staple throughout Korea is street food. Like many countries, Korea has particular foods that are famous on the street. Street food is a big part of Korean culture, and with so much variety for such reasonable prices, it is easy to see why. In most neighbourhoods, you can find the odd street food vendor, but in particular neighbourhoods, you can find the streets lined with vendors. It is also very common here to eat your food right at the vendor, as opposed to buying it taking it and eating it on the go. If you go to one of these particular areas with numerous vendors, you can easily have an entire meal featuring a variety of foods, as well as a dessert if you can find room.
One of the best places to get street food in Busan is Nampo-dong, which happens to be my favourite neighbourhood here. PIFF Square used to be home to the Busan International Film Festival, but now you can find it lined with vendors selling everything from fruit smoothies, to meats, dried squid and a variety of stick foods. The hardest part is deciding what to have, but with reasonable prices, it makes it easy to pick a few things. Some of my favourites include chicken on a stick, potato on a stick, and hotteok. There are many street foods that I haven’t tried, some I have no desire to, and others I just haven’t gotten around to. I will introduce you to some of the more popular ones.
Gimbap: This is popular both on the street, and in restaurants. It is Korea’s version of sushi, and consists of rice, veggies, egg, and either meat or fish rolled in seaweed. Gimbap bought on the street usually has a piece of fish or just veggies, and costs about 1,500 won.
Dried Squid/Octopus: The smell of this is enough to drive me away, yet you can easily find it and find many people eating it. This also seems to be a popular snack at sporting events and festivals. There seems to be a wide variety for people to choose from, although I don’t know the differences.
Mandu:Mandu is another favourite in both restaurants and on the street. There are different versions of these dumplings, varying from ones being filled with noodles or meat and other veggies. You can usually get about 5 dumplings for about 3,000 won.
Twigim: This is basically deep fried anything, varying from vegetables, shrimp, eggs, mandu, and squid. I have never actually had any of these, in fear of a heart attack, but they are quite popular.
Hotteok: This is probably my favourite street food item, as well as many others’, as the line up for one in PIFF square is usually quite long. It is basically a deep fried pastry filled with cinnamon, sugar, and nuts. It is usually 1000 won.
Tornado Potato (Potato on a stick): I think this was the first street food I had in Korea. Being a potato lover, it attracted me, but it’s fun design also draws people in. The vendors put a whole potato through a special slicer that makes it into a spiral. They then deep fry it and sprinkle it with a cheesy powder as well as a sugary powder. I am not a huge fan of the sweet aspect of it, so just ask for it without the sugary powder. This typically costs about 2000 won.
Tteokbokki: These are rice cakes (similar to gnocchi), in a spicy sauce. The first time I tried one of these at orientation, I bit into it thinking it would be pasta, but was surprised at the sticky texture. However, I really like it, although it can be quite hot!
Huge Ice Cream Cone: This is another one of my favourites from the street. Who doesn’t love ice cream, and it’s even easier to love when it is 32 cm long! For only 2,000 won!
Fish Cakes (Odeng): I am not a huge fish fan, and this one in particular grosses me out. Perhaps, it is the way they are placed on the stick, folded over and over in a way that reminds me of intestines.Despite what I feel about this particular snack, it is extremely popular among Koreans and even foreigners. The broth itis in is also popular, and street food vendors will often give you a cup of it to drink, even if you have not ordered odeng(it is also said to cure hangovers. Odeng is one of the cheaper street foods, sold at usually 500 won (50 cents) a skewer.
Beondegi: As much as the sight of odeng grosses me out, I am not sure if it is worse than the smell of beondegi, or silkworm pupae. The silkworms are boiled and served in cups. They are more popular with older generations as that is what they ate when there wasn’t enough food long ago. You always know when beondegi is close, as they offer quite a distinguishable smell. As gross as these look and smell to me, I probably should try them before I leave Kore, just for the experience.
Street food in Korea, is not just for the stomach, but for the culture. People don’t just enjoy the food, but enjoy sitting with friends and enjoying some of their favourite foods for a cheap price. It is such a huge part of their culture, and something that is not to be missed if you come to Korea.
Thoughts of a Travelling Teacher 
This is the street that I love in Korea! I’d love to go there again in the future!