Korean markets are busy, noisy, smelly and extremely exciting! You can not only taste the produce and products, but also easily spend a whole morning or afternoon there. For me, these are the things which I like to look out for in a Korean market:
- Fresh seafood, especially live octopusses
- Traditional crockery
- Streetfood
- Gochujang – a spicy Korean miso paste
- Doenjang – Korean version of the Japanese miso
- Gochugaru – Korean chili flakes/powder
- Various types of pickles for you to make banchan (side dishes)
- Traditional herbal medicines
- Tteokbokki – different kinds of Korean rice cakes
- Kimchi – there are literally thousands to choose from
There are so many markets to choose from. From a foodie’s point of view, I would prioritise the following:
- Namdaemun Market
- Gwangjang Market (go again at night for the streetfood)
- Noryangjin Fish Market (go for the freshest seafood sashimi ever)
- Majang Meat Market
- Geumcheongyo Market
- Tongin Market
- Changsin Market
- Mangwon Market
- Yeongdong Market
- Gyeongdong Market (go here for dry herbs)
For their addresses and how to get to them, check out Seoulistic.
