TOURING SEOUL: Gwangjang Market (and Sannakji)
Walking through Gwangjang Market.
Dear Foodie Fam,
If I could transplant one small part from another country to just minutes from my home, it would be Gwangjang Market 광장시장.
History
The first permanent market in Korea, Gwangjang market can be traced back to the efforts of the Gwangjang Corporation who sought to reclaim Korean sovereignty during Japanese occupation. Daily markets weren’t really a thing back then (markets were really only held on specific days) so this is the oldest daily market in Korea.
The market started out selling agricultural and seafood products. Today, it’s a mashup of lots authentic Korean finds. With 10 acres hosting about 65,000 daily visitors and providing work for 20,000 people in 5,000 shops and stalls… this place is a must-see when in Seoul.
Today, lots of vendors here also own factories supplying nearby markets and stores in Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and Pyounghwa. Because of this, the second floor of the market houses one of the most famous large collections of textiles to shop from. There’s high quality silk, satin, second hand clothes, hanboks and linen bed-sheets. The younger generation loves the great vintage collections, here! And what a great place for newly weds to get great home goods at a great price!
Gwangjang Market is also famous for its abundance of street food.
Now, if you want to go to Korean food Heaven, you’ve got to go to Gwangjang Market. You have GOT TO wander the crisscrossing aisles and corridors. Out of all the experiences I had in South Korea, experiencing Gwangjang Market was my favorite.
Food To Eat At Gwangjang Market
When we went to Gwangjang, it was already later into the night. The entrance halls were sparse. Most shops were shuttered and some vendors were packing up and on their way out. Even then, it was still worth the slow stroll because some vendors’ bins and hanging goods were still out and we got to admire all the shapes and colors of seafood we have never seen or tried, before!
The lights weren’t on at all the stalls on the way in so the glow of the center of the market drew us from the wet, cold city night. The balmy glow of lamps, the toasty warmth of cooking food and the smell fried fish pulled us into the heart of the market…
Entering the heart of the market felt like reaching your hometown after a drive through the dark outskirts of town.
When you go to Gwangjang Market, booming calls from vendors in rows of dazzling food stalls will lure you every which way.
It may be hard to pick a place to sit and eat… but the usual tips are:
Follow your nose
Follow your gut
Go where all the locals are going (usually, benches are so packed it’s hard not to touch arms or share conversation with any locals!)
Remember, you could always visit the market more than once if you are totally unsure what to eat!
You’ll eventually sit snugly at benches so close to the action you’ll be able to smell the aroma of the ingredients, see the preparation of the food and feel the steam! You won’t run out of different dishes to explore. But if you still don’t know where to start, here’s some food you might want to try at Gwangjang Market!:
Some Popular Street Food at Gwangjang Market
Bindaetteok 빈대떡 : mung bean pancake
Gimbap 김밥 : specifically, Mayak Gimbap 마약김밥 만들기- named after “narcotic”s because it’s so frign addictive!!!
Pajeon 파전 : pancakes usually with leeks and green onions
Sundae 순대 : blood sausage
Tteokbokki 떡볶이 : rice rolls (like everywhere in the market AND around Seoul!) … you can’t get away from this one! Seoul eating 101!
I can assure you: all of the above is worth a try.
Sannakji (산낙지)
Long Arm Octopus at a stall that prepares and serves Sannakji (산낙지).
Sannakji 산낙지: Chopped up live Long Arm octopus…
I wasn’t keen on trying this… not because I’m not adventurous but because I know I don’t prefer gummy seafood. I’m not even a huge fan of calamari …After research however, Dutch was set on enjoying it before even landing in Seoul.
He sought it out…
The thing is: Sannakji is eaten by but not that popular amongst South Koreans (as we are told by locals.) Locals we met were mesmerized by the sight of us eating this or the thought that we were even interested in eating it! So when Dutch sought out that octopus, we had to do a couple rounds to find it . Even then, we wanted make sure there was other foods at the stall we wanted to enjoy.
At one stall, the emo was tickled by our interest in the octopus. She pulled it from it’s tank and showed us the tentacles’ length and posed with it just for fun. She’s the one we ended circling back to.
After we sat at her stall, our emo went from energetic showmanship to sweet hospitality. She was throwing a vibe much like an aunt who doesn’t want you to leave without eating something because she’s so excited to cook for you… so you feel like leaving without eating what she’s cooked for you will break her heart. This is a common vibe given when eating at Seoul eateries and you can read about that in one of my earlier blog posts.
Now here’s what happens when you order sannakji:
The emo (or whoever is manning the stall) grabs the Long Arm Octopus from it’s tank.
The lifting of the octopus from it’s tank signals to locals -most likely, every other person- at the stall that you’re
A) unique
B) a tourist who doesn’t know what you’re asking for OR
C) a unique tourist who does know what you are asking for.
People will start watching this sort of grandiose voluntary cultural initiation.
If your emo is humane, they will kill said octopus swiftly, and then proceed to chop it into (this is important) smaller than bite-sized pieces.
The emo puts it on a dish.
The emo adds oils, sauces and/or seaweed on the pieces.
The emo serves the finished sannakji to you… and watches you, intently…
PS: Since 60% of the neurons in this octopus’ body are in it’s arms, the writhing you see on the sannakji plate can be attributed to reflex.
This is how to eat sannakji:
Make sure your piece has seaweed and/or oil on that first bite if you are afraid of weird tastes. BTW: It doesn’t taste weird, I promise. It just tastes bland.
Make sure you grab a small piece.
CHEW CHEW CHEW. VERY WELL. SUPER IMPORTANT!!! It’s actually pretty lethal if you have larger than bite sized pieces…
Swallow.
Realize it’s pretty good and not at all far-fetched tasting.
Accept the soju or somaek that will inevitably be given to you by South Koreans at your booth who admire your effort and want to welcome you to Seoul! It’s rude not to accept those drinks, by the way. Read about that on my South Korean drinking etiquette blog post.
I did try sannakji. It wasn’t actually as gummy as I expected and I shared a good portion of it. It was lightly gummy -and yes, cold. It was bland, flavored by the seaweed and sesame oil it came tossed in.