Top 10 Strange Korean Foods



Korea is famous for Kimchi and Bulgogi, but is also home to a variety of lesser known dishes that are definitely worth tasting. Here's a list of the oddest foods available in Korea, a must try for everyone visiting the peninsula!
 

10 - Intestine Blood Sausage with Vermicelli (순대-Soondae)



Soondae (often written Sundae, making it easy to mistake for a creamy cold sundae) is a sort of Korean Blood Sausage. Like for many European sausages, the "skin" is actually intestines (either from a cow or a pig) that have been washed and boiled. The sausage is filled with pork blood, vermicelli and other spices. Recipes vary accross regions, with some prefering to consume it in a soup while others add squid or fish to the recipe.



9 - Chicken Feet (닭발-Dalkbal)



The dish is less ubiquitous in Korea than in China but is still enjoyed by a number of people. The feet are usually served covered in a thick seasoning sauce made of red pepper paste and sesame. Some people only eat the skin, but everyone knows the best part is chewing on those crunchy cartilagenous bones.



8 - Pork Skin (껍대기-Ggeopdaegi)



Pork skin is a common feature of street stalls, it is usually served cooked with vegetables in a thick brownish-red sauce. You can also order it in a lot of barbecue places. The texture is starchy, thick and chewy, kinda like some sort of really al dente pasta. The taste of the skin itself is not exactly flavorful and mostly comes from the sauce.
 
 
 
7 - Ground Mudfish Soup (추어탕-Chuotang)
 
Chuotang is made with the Miggulaji fish (Chinese muddy loach, Misgurnus mizolepis), which usually lives in shallow waters. The fishes are grounded into a powder and then boiled with leak leaves, green onions, soybean paste and red pepper paste. The taste is thought to be strong by some Koreans and it might take you a little while to get used to it, but it really is a must-try.

 
 

6 - Raw Sea Worm (개불-Gaebul)



We have already talked about Gaebul in a previous post. Gaebul or Urechis unicinctus is a type of seaworm commonly found in Korean fish markets. It is a species of marine spoon worm which usually leaves in sand or mud. It is usually eaten as Hoe (회), that is raw fish, like a sort of sashimi. I've heard on several occasions that it was especially popular among middle-aged women.



5 - Deadly Blowfish Soup (복지리-Bokjili)
 
You may have heard of the deadly Japanese blowfish known as Fugu. The fish's liver is packed with a highly poisonous neurotoxin that can kill a man in a few hours. Japanese cooks willing to serve the dish need a licence which is only available after years of training. This makes Fugu a really expensive delicacy. Regulations are much laxer in Korea and finding a place that serves dishes made out of this poisonous fish is pretty easy. Prices are also much cheaper than in Japan. The most common dish is Bokjili which is a soup prepared with the blowfish's meat, red pepper and herbs. There are actually many ways to prepare the fish and another popular option is to consume it raw and sliced (Hoe, 회). It is said that some people ask the cook to leave a little bit of poison inside the soup in order to get some sort of 'high' out of eating it. The flesh itself does not have a very strong taste, and it usually just takes the same flavor as the soup it is served in. The texture of the fish's meat however is very particular, very light and puffy. It feels like you're eating a cloud. When consumed raw, the skin has a very delicate flavor.

 
 
4 - Boiled Silk Worms Pupas (번대기-Beondaegi)
 
Another type of food that can easily be found on street stalls. Beondaegi are pupas of silk worms that are boiled in a seasoned broth. The offputting smell makes it easy to find a vendor.
 
 
Beondaegi can also be bought in cans (if you ever wish to try it but can't afford to go to Korea, this is actually available in many Korean markets outside of Korea):


3 - Dog Stew (보신탕-Boshintang)



The infamous Boshintang uses dog meat as its key ingredient along with green onions, red peppers and soybean paste. The dish is not as common as one could believe, but it can still be found served in quite a few restaurants around Seoul. The soup is supposed to be a good source of protein and energy and is therefore often prescribed when recovering from a cold or another disease. It is also believed to strenghten virility.

Before
 

After

2 - Dog and Deer Antler Drink (개소주-Gaesoju)



This isn't actually a food as it is usually taken as a medicine. The meat of a young yellow dog is boiled and the broth is mixed with deer antler powder and herbal ingredients such as red jujube, ginseng, ginger, etc... I've heard there also used to be a version called Goyangi Soju (고양이소주) made with cat meat. Both products are supposed to be banned under the current animal protection law and are therefore pretty rare (it can be bought online and ordered in some shops). However drinks made out of only deer antler powder and herbs are often used to cure colds (though it's pretty expensive, expect to pay more than 10000 wons for a pack). The deers are not harmed when the antlers are harvested.



1 - Live Octopus (산낙지-Sannakji)



Live Octopus is specialty from Pusan but can be found everywhere in Korea. You chose the octopus from the aquarium and the chef will cut up its tentacles for you. The tentacles keep moving for a while after being cut and the suckers still stick to your tongue and mouth. It is common to dip the pieces of tentacles in sesame oil to prevent the suckers from sticking in your throat and making you choke. Once the tentacles are consumed, the head of the octopus is served boiled in a soup. It is still full of ink and therefore makes your teeth black, which is pretty funny.

 
You're doing it wrong


And that's it! For people who've been to Korea, which ones of these foods have you tried? For the others, which ones would you want to try?
 

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