Food and purchases from Kwangjang market, Seoul

At one of the food stands in Kwangjang market, we ordered 6 different types of food: tteokbokki, eomuk, mayak kimbap, jokbal, mandu, and japchae. In the pictures, you only see half the portion (except for the jokbal and the mandu), as they divided the dishes in two separate plates, to make it more convenient to eat for us, sitting very close and right next to each other. Two of us could share one plate and place it within our reach. We really stuffed ourselves, so don't order too much at once like we did.     

Mandu

The mandu (dumplings) were soft and plump and I like the soft bite that it has. Most of the flavor comes from the accompanying soy sauce, but it is something that you can keep on eating without getting sick from it.

Tteokbokki

The sauce of the tteokbokki was quite spicy and the rice cakes were soft and a lot thicker than the ones that I normally get from the local Asian supermarket at home. I couldn't eat more than 2-3, as it was very spicy and filling.

Eomuk

The eomuk didn't have a strong fish flavor or a bouncy texture like Cantonese fish cakes, but it had a more subtle fish flavor and a soft, limp texture. Most of the flavor comes from the slightly browned exterior. I really like the broth that it was in. 


 

 Mayak kimbap

 The mayak kimbap are small and thin nori rolls filled with pickled carrot, radish, and some greens. On its own, it is not that interesting. It is the sweet and spicy, watery mustard sauce, served in the pocket that they made in the plastic sheet that they wrapped around the plate - which I almost confused with spilled broth from the eomuk -, that makes you want to keep eating it. Compared to Japanese nori rolls, the rice isn't pressed as firm and the nori on the outside is softened by a brush of sesame oil. 

 Japchae

The japchae was a lot different than the one that I made before. I looked up what kind of ingredients should be in the sauce and mixed them according to my taste, as I never ate it before. Mine was a lot saltier and more flavorful. It may also be that it was a simplified version of japchae, missing a lot of ingredients with different flavors and textures. 

 Jokbal

The jokbal (pig trotters cooked with soy sauce and spices) was flavored nicely and it has the added benefit of being good for the skin, but they were a bit too greasy and the meat-fat ratio was a bit off. It would have been better if there was a bit more meat.

What we bought at Kwangjang market             

We bought a bag with small packs of flavored mixed nuts and a large sheet of spicy dried squid for around 10,000 won each at one of the snacks shops near the entrance. We got the two small packs of dried seaweed sheets as gifts with purchase.