Food

Ilsin Pyebaek is a specialty shop that creates pyebaek food used in traditional Korean weddings. Pyebaek is an important traditional ceremony where the bride pays respects to her husband's parents and officially becomes a part of the new family. Each element carries symbolic blessings: dates and chestnuts represent prosperity and happiness for future descendants, while traditional sweets (gangjeong) and rice cakes (tteok) symbolize abundance and harmony. Every beautifully arranged dish embodies heartfelt blessings, carrying on the rich heritage of traditional Korean wedding culture to this day. It is a special place where you can experience the beauty and flavor of Korean wedding traditions at their finest.

Inside Gwangjang Market, traditional oriental medicine clinics and traditional teahouses have long stood together, looking after people's health and well-being. Checking your pulse to restore bodily balance and enjoying seasonal traditional teas alongside sweets (hangwa) is a longstanding part of Korean lifestyle culture. A table set with a warm cup of tea and refreshments embodies the heartfelt Korean hospitality of caring for the body and welcoming guests. It is a quiet and relaxing sanctuary nestled amidst the bustling energy of the market.

Boyoung Sanghoe is a traditional oil mill in Gwangjang Market that has been pressing sesame oil and perilla oil for a long time. These oils, extracted using traditional pressing methods, are characterized by their rich aroma and preserved nutritional value, making them essential ingredients found in almost every Korean household. You can immediately notice the difference in quality just by the savory aroma that spreads the moment the bottle is opened, and visitors can even taste them before making a purchase at the market. The true depth of flavor in Korean cuisine begins with just a single drop of these oils.

A rice cake shop passed down across three generations for over 60 years, this place has kept pace with the history of Gwangjang Market. Rice cakes (tteok) are an indispensable food in every major milestone of Korean life, from birthdays, weddings, first-birthday parties, and traditional holidays to ancestral memorial services, carrying on the cultural tradition of sharing joy with neighbors. The method of steaming and kneading rice cakes every single dawn has remained largely unchanged for decades. Every single bite of tteok embodies the changing seasons, family bonds, and the heartfelt spirit of celebration inherent in Korean culture.

Chilho Sanghoe brings together a wide variety of kimchi in one place, including Napa cabbage kimchi (baechu-kimchi), young summer radish kimchi (yeolmu-kimchi), bachelor radish kimchi (chonggak-kimchi), mustard leaf kimchi (gat-kimchi), and white kimchi (baek-kimchi). Because each type of kimchi uses different ingredients and fermentation methods, they all offer unique flavors, and the salted seafood condiments (jeotgal) sold alongside them are essential ingredients that complete the taste of the kimchi. With vacuum-packing services available for travelers, it has become a must-visit spot for many international visitors. It is a space where you can experience Korea's fermentation culture in the most delicious way possible.

Gwangjang Chonggak Gangjeong introduces Korea’s traditional sweets in a modern and approachable way, offering treats such as yakgwa, yugwa, gangjeong, and yeot. Yakgwa, in particular, has recently gained renewed attention among younger generations and international visitors, becoming a new icon of Korean traditional desserts. Made with natural ingredients such as rice, honey, grain syrup, and sesame seeds, these sweets offer a delicious way to experience a variety of Korean traditional flavors in one place. They are also popular as gifts. It’s a great place to experience Korea’s sweet traditions in their most delicious form.

Mayak Gimbap, representative of Gwangjang Market, gets its nickname from the idea that once you eat it, you'll keep craving it (as if it's "addictive" like a drug). While recently also introduced under the name "Jungdok Gimbap" (addictive gimbap), it has long been beloved as a defining symbol of Gwangjang Market. Packed with simple ingredients like carrots, pickled radish (danmuji), and spinach, and dipped in a pungent mustard-soy sauce, this humble gimbap possesses a surprisingly addictive charm. Right next door at the market bapsang (market diner), merchants gather daily to enjoy lunch and keep their workday going. This meeting of tourists' favorite eateries and the everyday lives of local market people creates a scenery unique to Gwangjang Market.

A legendary twisted doughnut hotspot in Gwangjang Market that is an absolute must-visit. Freshly fried glutinous rice twisted doughnuts (chapssal kwabaegi) offer a perfect harmony of a crispy exterior and a chewy interior, while the black rice glutinous doughnuts filled with sweet red bean paste are also immensely popular. With long queues constantly forming, it is a renowned destination loved by both domestic and international travelers and an essential course for tasting the warm, comforting street snacks of a traditional Korean market.

A representative traditional restaurant of Gwangjang Market, where you can enjoy crispy pan-fried mung bean pancakes (bindaetteok) alongside juicy grilled short rib patties (tteokgalbi). Beloved by both domestic and international tourists for its unchanging taste over the years, it is an essential dining spot to experience iconic market food amid the lively and warm atmosphere of a traditional Korean market.

A 50-year-old traditional herbal tea stall, and a landmark specialty of Gwangjang Market. Every night, they carefully brew traditional herbal teas such as Sipjeondaebotang and Ssanghwacha using traditional methods, achieving a deep flavor enriched with deer antler (nokyong) and various medicinal herbs. Available exclusively from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM, this special hidden gem in Gwangjang Market is a must-visit for global travelers looking to experience Korea's traditional health-tonifying culture.