ⓒ Getty Images Bank

According to a recent survey conducted by an online pollster, the most popular winter snack among South Korean people is fish-shaped bread with sweet red bean filling, followed by roasted chestnuts, roasted sweet potatoes, brown sugar-filled fried pancakes and fish cakes. Perhaps, there are very few South Koreans who do not like the fish-shaped waffle called bungeoppang, which means “carp bread.” Looking like a carp, the street food is crispy on the outside, while soft, sweet and warm on the inside. It goes really well with the cold winter. It is typically filled with red bean paste, but these days, consumers can find new types of fillings made of custard cream, sweet potatoes or cheese. So, they have a wider range of choice to enjoy the delicious snack. 

We can’t help but wonder what kinds of snacks people in North Korea consume in this cold season. Today, we’ll talk about North Korean winter snacks with Kim Young-hee, director of the Public Relation Department at the Korea Hana Foundation. 

Fish-shaped bread with a red bean filling and steamed buns are popular winter snacks in South Korea. Are there any similar snacks in North Korea? 

There is no fish-shaped bread in North Korea. But steamed buns are everywhere. The North Korean steamed buns filled with sweet red beans have less sugar but some saccharin. They are less sweet, compared to South Korean ones. North Koreans all across the country enjoy the hot, steamed buns. They can buy them on the streets but many prepare flour dough and red beans to make the buns at home. 

These days, various snacks like ice cream, candies and cookies are sold in big cities in North Korea. When the state rationing system remained in force in the past, corn was the typical winter snack for children and adults alike. Corn snacks varied, from stir-fried corn and deep-fried corn to corn porridge. 

At this time of year, there are stacks of corn stover piled up in rural households after harvest. Locals make rice cakes with corn powder using machines. I guess South Koreans haven’t eaten the corn cakes. For a different kind of corn cake called kkojang-tteok(꼬장떡), North Koreans knead corn powder with hot water and stick the dough on the iron cauldron. The corn cake then becomes straight and chewy. The word “kkojang” means “straight.” North Koreans also make corn porridge from the whole plant. They simmer the corn gently over heat until it is fully cooked and has a smooth texture. 

While many South Koreans love red bean porridge, North Korean people often make porridge with large beans. While boiling the porridge, the heat keeps them warm and the food can fill their stomach to serve as a light meal. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. 

While suffering from the severe economic difficulties during the so-called Arduous March period in the 1990s, North Korean society underwent some major changes, including the collapse of the rationing system and the emergence of the unofficial market or jangmadang. The private market facilitated the movement of goods between regions to change locals’ dietary habits and diversify snack foods. 

There’s a saying in North Korea, “You can buy anything but a cat’s horn at the jangmadang.” It means you can find anything in the market, as long as it exists. While corn was the only snack available in the past, North Koreans can now get all sorts of snacks including candies, cookies, bread, and rice cakes. Sweet potatoes are one of the most popular winter snacks. They are sweeter than potatoes, and people can enjoy the snack without water. Sweet potatoes are sold as street food in all parts of the country. 

Chestnuts are also popular. After North Koreans cut trees for firewood, the country plant chestnut trees there. The state does not collect chestnuts, so anyone can pick them. It is first come, first served. When I was in North Korea, children would break chestnut burs with their feet, gather them and carry them in their backpack. Roasted chestnuts are also consumed as street food. 

At this time every year, roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes appear on the streets in downtown Pyongyang and it is common to see people standing in a long line to buy the winter delicacies. 

According to North Korean media, market stalls selling roasted chestnuts and sweet potatoes are thriving near subway stations and apartment complexes in Pyongyang as well as in downtown areas, including Changgwang Street. The media said the fragrant smell of the roasted snacks from every corner of the city is inseparable from the distinctive atmosphere of Winter in the capital. 

The market stalls on the streets are run by the state. In the cold winter, people crave for something warm, like the hot, baked chestnuts and sweet potatoes. There are various other snacks as well. On the back of the rising demand for winter snacks and the increasing purchasing power of people, snacks seem to be expanding further. 

It is nice to enjoy some snacks at home, of course. But it is also fun to get some street food. In South Korea, many people love to eat hot, thick noodles from a snack cart on the street on a winter night, enjoying the flavor and the unique atmosphere. For them, the experience is more than just consuming a bowl of noodles. It is said that there are street food vendors in North Korea, too. 

In North Korea, street vendors were found at times in the 1980s. Old women would sell things under bridges in secret, and vendors would hide behind the fences of universities to secretly sell food or other items students needed. The number of street vendors began to shoot up in the mid-1990s during the economic contraction. They made rice cakes, noodles and other dishes at home, carried them on a big tray and sold them on the street. Their food quickly sold out, as those who were from out of town for a business trip bought the food and children pestered their parents for the snacks. In short, the simple market principle of supply and demand contributed to the growing number of street vendors. 

But the authorities did not approve the vendors. Rather, they cracked down on them. Therefore, the vendors had to move from place to place, carrying around their dishes. They were called “grasshopper merchants,” as they had to hop around quickly. These days, the situation has changed a bit. In some regions, the authorities allow vendors to do their business and demand some money in return. 

In South Korea, one of the most popular snack items is the combination of spicy rice cakes called tteokbokki, crispy fries and the Korean version of sausage called sundae. If the hot fish cakes are added, the street food couldn’t be better. North Korea, of course, has its own popular street food. 

You can find a variety of snacks in North Korea, such as tofu rice, gimbap or seaweed rice rolls, noodles, rice cakes and egg bread. South Korean gimbap is rather too large, so it is hard to eat a single piece in a mouthful. But North Korean gimbap is relatively small, and it comes with simple fillings and delicious seasonings. 

Another popular snack is injogogi(인조고기) rice roll. Injogogi means fake meat. Meat is rare and expensive in North Korea, and this meat substitute made from the leftover dregs of soybeans tastes like real meat. The sweet egg bread is loved by children. In the North, sugar and rice cakes are in short supply, so locals can’t afford to make tteokbokki. But once they taste the mouth-watering spicy rice cakes, they will surely be eager to make it. 

These days, South Koreans can enjoy snacks even late at night, thanks to around-the-clock convenience stores and restaurants offering delivery service all night. Besides the traditional pizza and chicken, restaurants now deliver various other snack menus as well. 

Food delivery service is also found in North Korea. In the late 2000s when South and North Korea actively carried out cross-border economic cooperation, a South Korean businessperson opened a chicken restaurant in Pyongyang. At first, the restaurant took orders by phone and delivered chicken by motorcycle. Delivery service later expanded to include other food items. Now, consumers can order food using their smartphones. Ms. Kim now talks about North Koreans’ most favorite late-night snack during winter. 

In the North, the most favored winter snack is noodles in icy-cold kimchi broth. The taste is just beyond description. I’ve never eaten the dish in South Korea because South Korean kimchi has little liquid. In the North, I would dip out kimchi broth with a ladle from an underground kimchi jar. I broke the thin layer of ice covering the broth and poured it over chewy corn noodles. There were few things to garnish with, other than chopped kimchi. But it was the best winter food, indeed. I imagine North Koreans lived through the winter, thanks to the seasonal delicacy. 

Dongji or the winter solstice falls on December 22 this year. The day marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. According to a joseon-era book about seasonal customs of Korea, Dongji was referred to as “A-Se” and commoners would call it “little New Year’s Day” as it was considered the start of another year. Even today, people say one grows a year older only after eating a bowl of patjuk or red bean porridge on Dongji. 

Koreans have traditionally enjoyed red bean porridge with glutinous rice balls on Dongji. The rice dough balls are known as “saealsim” in Korean, meaning “bird egg balls,” because the rice balls are about the same size as bird eggs. 

North Korea included the custom of consuming red bean porridge on Dongji on the list of non-material cultural heritage, which is equivalent to South Korea’s national intangible cultural heritage, and observes the day as a traditional holiday. 

The process of cooking red bean porridge in the North is similar to South Korea’s. First, put red beans and water into a pot and boil them. Strain out the red beans by mashing them. Put rice in the red bean water and boil. When the rice is cooked, add the red bean mash while stirring slowly. It is believed that children who receive large rice balls will be blessed, so some of the rice balls are made bigger on purpose. 

In Pyongyang and western Pyongan provinces in the North, the rice balls are made from glutinous rice, just like in South Korea. But in Hamgyong Province, where Ms. Kim came from, glutinous sorghum powder is used. 

North Korea also celebrates Dongji. When I was little, my mom never failed to make red bean porridge on the day. I also continued with the tradition even after marriage. In the North, glutinous sorghum powder is kneaded with hot water to make balls. Sorghum is slightly bitter, so the balls may taste a bit bitter at first. But it’s really good and chewy. In the North, some put large beans, not red beans, to make the porridge. Fully cooked, the beans are tender but still firm enough to bite. I remember it tasted incredibly good. I hope I can enjoy the same flavor again, but no one can ever bring out a similar flavor. 

North Korean defectors say that the snacks they had eaten in their home country, especially during the difficult times, do not taste the same in South Korea. We’re looking forward to enjoying the original flavor of those snacks in North Korea.