Well, if you go to Kwangjang Shijang, Seoul’s oldest traditional market, it’s worth eating till you become a pig---at reasonable market prices, of course.

Located steps outside of Jongno 5-ga Station exits 7 and 8, Kwangjang Market has just celebrated its 105th year anniversary this year. It is a huge indoor space selling everything from tailored Hanbok to home-cooked food, I would advise you bring an empty stomach---and a camera---when you visit this place.

First established in 1905, Gwangjang Market is Korea’s oldest remaining daily market. It can be found east of downtown Seoul, not far from Dongdaemun Market. Originally, the market was mainly for selling fabrics and cloth to make Korean traditional clothes called hanboks. There are stores on the 2nd floor of the market that specialize in these clothes. It is frequented by young couples that are about to get married that need to buy their traditional outfits for the ceremony.

Luckily, all the people that work at the market have to eat and there is a vibrant food market selling speciality items. The most famous of the dishes are their bindaetteok which are made from mung beans and then fried up in oil till crisp. These large disks of fried beans are made by many of the vendors here. There is rivalry between two main shops: Pakgane and Sunheenae. Most claim to be the best but with very different food philosophies. Pakgane offers a "well-being" bindaetteok which has kimchi. Sunheenae offers a fortified pancake with bits of ground pork. And even though it is fried, mung beans are believed to have detoxifying as well as diuretic properties.

The market is also famous for their knife-cut noodles served with handmade dumplings. They have mayak kimbap or called narcotic kimbap. These are rice rolls about the size of a small cigar stuffed with some veggies and dipped in a mustard/soy sauce. I think they call them mayak or narcotic kimbap because they are seriously addicting.

There is also Juk---or traditional rice porridge. Usually slow-cooked and sometimes ground to a consistency similar to western cream soups, popular favorites include pumpkin and red bean. In Kwangjang Juk Jip, one of my favorite haunts, you can get whacky flavors like soya bean, and sometimes even white sesame. The main reason why I prefer porridge in these holes-in-the-walls to those form the big chains, is that the rustic ones taste more real. With chunky bits of fibrous pumpkins, it feels more convincing than the overly-smooth stuff that smell of cornstarch.

Aside from the two above-mentioned highlights, there are plenty of other highlights, like seafood Pajeon, Jokbal or pork hocks, and tons of traditional egg-battered fried Jeons like zucchini, tofu, even whole fish.

Also not to miss are traditional wedding gifts like towers of red date stuffed with pine nuts, as well as brilliantly decorated dried beef. There are also many stalls that sell Korean banchan or side dishes.
Seriously, for a place where you can have a real for the stomach as well as for the eyes, Kwangjang Market’s a steal. For roughly 12,000 Won, you can eat until you are content.