Top 10 Culinary Specialties in Seoul

What to eat in Seoul?

1. Naengmyeon

In summer, it's sometimes nice to set aside hot dishes and break the rules by enjoying a cold meal. In Korea, Naengmyeon is a concentrate based on noodles that have been soaked in a cold, even frozen broth. With a little beef, an egg, and some pieces of potatoes or sweet potatoes, it's an atypical meal that you'll find everywhere in South Korea, and which Seoul inhabitants love! It exists in different versions, of which the one with spicy noodles is one of the most widespread. So, are you ready to try the Naengmyeon experience?

2. Kimchi

It's normal that the word "Kimchi" rings a bell. This dish composed exclusively of peppers as well as marinated vegetables like Chinese cabbage is very famous in France as well as in other countries. This very crunchy cold dish brings a new flavor to your stomach...And it doesn't displease it! Fermented in brine, the vegetables have a completely different taste from what you may have known before. Kimchi is present at practically every meal on Korean tables, even at breakfast, it's so delicious!

3. Bibimbap

With such a cute name, we can well suspect that the dish in question must certainly be delicious! Adorned with colors, Bibimbap is a gentle mixture of rice, sliced beef, some vegetables (Korean dishes have the particularity of being very balanced), a fried egg, and some sesame seeds to add even more taste. If you notice a touch of red paste in your dish, it's probably "gochujang", a very renowned pepper in Seoul.

4. Kimbap

Kimpab or Gimbap is a sort of sushi garnished with rice and other ingredients. Rolled in a dried seaweed sheet, there are many varieties to this dish, and many like to enjoy it with a cabbage salad: pieces of radish, carrots, egg, meat...Depending on your preferences, you can add whatever you desire. Once you arrive in Seoul, nothing beats stopping in a lovely restaurant with a peaceful setting to enjoy the best Kimbap of your life.

5. Yakgwa

Time for sugar now, Korean honey cakes that we call "Yakgwa" are absolutely to die for! Cooked with flour, honey, rice wine and sesame oil, these small confections with such a particular color catch the eye with their flower shape. Their moist texture gives them a somewhat pasty appearance, and in the mouth, it's an explosion of flavors. It's typically the kind of food we like to eat at the end of a tough work day to better reward ourselves.

6. Japchae

Here's a healthy and balanced dish that can literally be translated as "vegetable mixture". Japchae is a gem in terms of flavors. Mixed with noodles made from sweet potatoes called "dangmyeon", the vegetables can be enjoyed hot or cold. Tourists generally love this dish, simple but pleasant to eat. For the more gourmand and lovers of good meat, you can always add some beef strips cut into thin slices, with a few spoons of soy sauce and sesame oil.

7. Soju

Know that Soju is one of the best-selling alcohols in the world. This ancestral drink is one of Korea's oldest, and is prepared by fermenting rice flour. Consumed cold, it's always enjoyed while eating, in a moment of sharing and conviviality. Depending on the regions, the alcohol degree can vary, but it's usually between 20% and 40%. For some time now, flavored versions exist, such as strawberry or lychee.

8. Samgyetang

A little white meat doesn't hurt! Samgyetang is a chicken soup that has been stuffed with sticky rice, garlic, ginseng roots (a plant that grows a lot in Seoul and known for reviving body and mind), chestnuts, and jujube, this fruit rich in fiber. Koreans like to eat this dish before a competition or an exam, because according to beliefs, it would have energizing virtues. Cooked in broth, we like to eat it in summer. Residents thus stock up on vitamins and nutrients, to recover their strength that tends to escape because of the heat.

9. Hotteok

Dear friends, here's very certainly the star of this ranking: Hotteok, honey pancakes with an enticing smell. For sure, you'll find them in all the street-food stands in the city. It's one of the most famous desserts that young and old love. Filled with brown sugar, this little pancake is sprinkled with cinnamon and chopped peanuts. Hotteok is served hot and can be easily enjoyed while walking the streets of Seoul. It's a great classic of traditional cuisine, which will delight your taste buds and give way to indulgence!

10. Jajangmyeon

Of Chinese inspiration, this dish quickly spread throughout Seoul. It's easily recognized thanks to its fermented black soy sauce that covers thick noodles. With minced pork, beans, and vegetables, Jajangmyeon is generally served with a bowl of rice or fried eggs. This flavor-rich dish quickly became a classic in Korean cuisine, so much so that all restaurants offer it, so it will be easy for you to taste it.