Gwangjang Market (also known as KwangJang Market) is one of Korea's largest
traditional markets as well as Korea's oldest market with over 100 years of
history. Although Gwangjang Market is not as well known as Namdaemun Market and
Dongdaemun Market among tourists, it is heralded by locals as the place to go
for quality silk goods, bedding, fabric, hanbok, kitchenware and clothing sold
at both wholesale and retail prices. But of the various things that Gwangjang
Market is famous for, the thing that brings crowds of people every week is the
food. You can eat a number of delicious items at the market including Mayak Gimbap(마약김밥),hoe (회;
raw fish or sashimi), juk (죽; porridge), sundaeguk (순대국; blood sausage soup),
bibimbap (비빔밥), tteokbokki (떡볶이; stir-fried rice cakes) and more.
The biggest of the three food alleys is Jeon Alley, running a length of about 30
meters starting from the entrance of the market. Although this may sound quite
long for such a humble food alley, several stores and stalls are crammed in
along the length of it, making the idea of personal space a laughable matter.
But regardless of the fact that eating here means being crammed
shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, there won't be a single person in the whole
lot with a scowl on their face. And that's because their mouths are too busy
happily munching away at bindaetteok and other varieties of jeon, or too busy
gulping down bowls full of makgeolli. The combination of jeon and makgeolli is
so universally enjoyed you'll see all kinds of people eating here. Office
workers looking to de-stress and grab a bite to eat on the way home to students
on a budget, from foreigners and tourists looking to try a taste of real Korea
to ajummas and ajusshis re-fueling their energy after a day of hiking, Jeon
Alley is popular with people of all ages and all backgrounds.
What is the Bindaetteok?
Bindaetteok (빈대떡), also called nokdujeon or nokdu jijim, is a variety of jeon
that literally means "mung bean pancake". Bindaetteok batter is made of ground
mung beans and meat (usually beef or pork), kimchi, and various vegetables are
added according to taste. It is typically served with a small side serving of
dipping sauce made of ganjang (Korean soy sauce), minced green onions, gochugaru
(red chili pepper flakes) and some vinegar.
What is Yukhoe?
Yukhoe is essentially Korean steak
tartare. It is a variety of hoe (회; raw dishes in Korean cuisine) made from raw
ground beef seasoned with various spices or sauces, usually soy sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil, spring onions,
minced garlic, sesame seeds, black pepper and julienned bae (배; Korean pear). A
raw egg yolk is usually added, served either on top of the dish or separately on
the side, and pine nuts may be added as well. Yukhoe is most commonly eaten as
an anju (안주; dishes that accompany alcoholic beverages).
Yukhoe Alley in Gwangjang Market is definitely not as big as Jeon Alley; it
consists of only 5 or so restaurants clustered together. That might not seem
like much, but its the quality of the food that draws crowds of people here. The
restaurants here use only the freshest, premium quality cuts of beef, unlike
many other yukhoe restaurants that use previously frozen beef. In order to
guarantee only the freshest cuts of beef to their customers, these restaurant
owners wake up at the crack of dawn to buy their meat directly from cattle
markets and prepare the meat themselves. It is due to their diligence and desire
to serve the best quality food that this alley sees hordes of people on the
weekends.
Mayak Gimbap Alley" instead of just "Gimbap Alley"? Well "mayak" (마약) means
narcotics, or drugs, in Korean. In Korea, when something is so delicious that
you find yourself looking to eat it again and again like an addiction, the word
"mayak" is added to the food's name when referring to it. This word usage
started relatively recently in popular culture, but perhaps it all started from
the name of this alley seeing as though this food alley has been around for over
40 years! Like Yukhoe Alley, Mayak Gimbap Alley is very small, made up of about
5 restaurants or so. But as the name of the alley suggests, the food is so
addictive people always come back for more!
For some, seeing a plate of mayak gimbap for the first time may be a
disappointing experience. From the outside, mayak gimbap doesn't appear any
different from any other gimbap. In fact, mayak gimbap looks even less exciting
than regular gimbap because it usually only comes with the very basic
ingredients of rice, carrots, spinach and danmuji. But all traces of doubt will
disappear the moment you take your first bite. Because although the ingredients
are very simple, they are packed with loads of flavor. And for an extra kick,
dip the mayak gimbap into some spicy mustard sauce! You probably won't be
thinking about eating any more mayak gimbap once you're stuffed full, but
believe me, there will come a time when you can't stop thinking about it, and
like an addiction you'll be coming back for more!
How to Get
There
Take subway line 1 to Jongno 5(o)-ga Station and go
out exit 11. Walk towards Jongno 4-ga Rotary, going around the outside of
Gwangjang Market, and enter the market through the second west gate (광장시장 서2문).
You should see a sign for Mayak Gimbap Alley.
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