There’s so much going on in Seoul that sometimes we forget that Korea is a big place. Stepping outside of the metropolitan area can be culture shock all over again. Exploring other parts of Korea means breathing fresh air, seeing new scenery and trying lots of new food. If you thought you knew all about Korean food from dining regularly at your local Kimbap restaurant, you’ll find a whole new world of cuisine as you explore other parts of Korea.

A recent trip to Jeonju (전주), about three hours south of Seoul, reminded me, once again, that I need to get out and see more of Korea. Jeonju is the capital city of Jeollabuk-do, a city of about 600,000 people. That might feel big to some, but coming from Seoul, a city of over 10,000,000 residents, it almost feels like you’re in the country.

If you ask any Korean what comes to mind when you say the name Jeonju, the first thing you’ll probably hear is Jeonju bibimbap (전주 비빔밥). For those who aren’t up on their Korean foods yet, bibimbap is a bowl full of rice, vegetables, red chili paste and possibly some meat, topped with an egg and mixed together. Jeonju style bibimbap is well known and commonly eaten around the peninsula. If you go to Jeonju and try the bibimbap you may think to yourself that it tastes just like any bibimbap you could eat down the street from your house. I thought so too, but after talking to some folks more knowledgeable than myself, I learned that Jeonju bibimbap has a few distinguishing characteristics. You may find a yellow jelly made from mung beans and fresh bean sprouts in your Jeonju bibimbap along with a bowl of bean sprout soup [pictured below] accompanying your Jeonju bibimbap. These are small details that make this uniquely from Jeonju.

Before going to Jeonju, I had read about its various cuisines in my Korean textbook. After mentioning bibimbap, the next to be mentioned was the kongnamul gukbap (콩나물 국밥). A simple translation of that would be bean sprout soup and rice. When I first read about that in my textbook I didn’t really have high expectations. I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of your average bean sprout soup served in your local hagwon school lunch. It’s bland, it has no spice and lacks flavor. After having to eat it in front of my preschool students for several months at a previous job, I’ve pretty much avoided it since. But, kongnamul gukbap in Jeonju is something completely different. Yes, there are bean sprouts in a broth. But, this has flavor! It’s served in a hot stone bowl with an egg you can toss in yourself and watch cook in the boiling broth. You can add in as much chili pepper and other seasonings as you like and adjust it to your taste buds.

Koreans like to eat kongnamul gukbap after a night of hard drinking, so you might want to try this the morning after you visit Makkoli Street (막걸리 골목). This well-known street in Jeonju is lined with one makkoli restaurant after another where you can try the traditional Korean rice wine in the most accommodating of settings. Even if you’ve had makkoli in your city, you’ve probably never had it like this. Order one kettle of makkoli for about 12,000 won and you’ll get not only a kettle full of 2-3 bottles of local makkoli, but also a plethora of side dishes called anju (안주). Therefore, don’t show up with a full stomach if you want to fully enjoy all they have to offer.

The side dishes were just as interesting to me as the makkoli. We got quite a few unusual sides with our makkoli. Pig’s head was the first to come out. If I hadn’t been told what it was, I never would have guessed it had come from those piles of pig’s heads I see stacked around my local market. It tasted pretty good, actually, but I couldn’t get the image of those pig’s heads out of my own head. Some of my friends were quite excited to see bundaegi come out a little while later. Foreigners usually know bundaegi as that pungent smelling insect sold in big vats on the streets. Served on a small plate it didn’t carry that awful smell which makes it so unappealing. I tried this one too, it tasted a bit like a crunchy raisin. It’s not really something I would eat regularly. Another exciting dish to come out was the live octopus. Chopped up, but still squirming, it fought for its life by trying to suction onto the plate as we tried to pick it up. With a little chili paste or sesame seed oil it’s not a bad snack, and always has a certain entertainment factor to it.

While it’s tempting to want to check out a few makkoli places here on Makkoli Street, your loyalty to one restaurant pays off. Your first order of makkoli will produce some decent side dishes, but the more rounds you order, the more interesting and extravagant the side dishes become. You’re not going to get live octopus on your first round or two, but the more you order, the better your side dishes become.

I recommend my readers to make your way down to Jeonju when you have a chance. It’s a relatively short and inexpensive bus ride from most places in Korea and there will be plenty to see and eat for a weekend. While you’re there be sure to check out the hanok village where you can see traditional houses and even stay at a traditional style guesthouse. And, most of all, be sure to eat plenty of Jeonju’s famous cuisine!

Jo-Anna Lynch is an environmental science major gone English teacher currently studying Korean and living in South Korea. Follow her adventures at http://smileyjkl.blogspot.com and feel free to ask questions and make comments!

For more information about contributing a guest post, please see my guest posting guidelines and contact me at chrisinsouthkorea AT gmail DOT com.

© Chris Backe - 2010

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