Best Hotteok in Seoul: where to eat it and how

What is Hotteok?

Hotteok is a yeasted dough pancake filled with brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts, pressed flat on an oiled griddle until the outside is crisp and the sugar inside melts into syrup. It's sold from street carts and market stalls and eaten on the spot, usually tucked into a paper cup.

What does Hotteok taste like?

Sweet, warm and chewy, with a crunchy fried edge and a cinnamon-sugar syrup that tastes a little like the middle of a cinnamon roll. Savoury versions filled with glass noodles and vegetables (yachae hotteok) are common too.

How do you eat Hotteok?

Hold it in the paper cup it comes in and bite from the edge, not the middle — the syrup is extremely hot for the first few minutes. Eat it standing at the stall while it's still crisp.

Where can I eat Hotteok in Seoul?

Street carts and market stalls all over Seoul, especially Namdaemun Market (known for its queue for vegetable hotteok), Insadong and the side streets of Myeongdong. In Busan, look for ssiat hotteok, stuffed with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, around BIFF Square.

Good to know

• ●The filling is molten sugar: wait a minute and take small bites from the edge.
• ●Many carts are cash only. Keep some ₩1,000 notes and coins handy.
• ●A long queue at a cart is a good sign — hotteok is made to order and the line moves quickly.