5 Food Experiences to Have in Korea Before You Die

2. Try sannakji (live octopus).

Octopus sashimi or sannakji. It was still squirming on the plate when they served it. Yikes! But me and my brother finished it eventually. Pair this with soy sauce and wasabi. Visit #walkwithcham.com #asia #travel #travelblog #travelblogger #blog #blogger #travelgram #igtravel #wanderlust #globetrotter #sannakji #jagalchi #jagalchifishmarket #busan #southkorea #walkwithchaminSouthKorea #walkwithchaminBusan

A photo posted by Cham Estrera (@walkwithcham) on Jan 31, 2016 at 4:04am PST

There’s a classic scene from the Korean movie Oldboy where the lead character rips into the head of an octopus while its tentacles reach, throbbing and slimy, across his face and around his nose before he finishes the dish. This is a great tutorial on how not to eat your first octopus because it could be your last — its arms can suction to your throat and choke you to death. That said, the dish is a Korean delicacy and, if you can stomach it, worth trying when you visit. For a safer, less violent version, try sliced sannakji instead. The bite-sized pieces are more conventional to consume even though they continue to squirm when you attempt to pick them up. The writhing tentacles cling tight to the dish, your chopsticks, and, later, your tongue. Chew immediately if you don’t wish to experience wriggling, sticky appendages rolling around in your mouth.

3. Sample cheap street eats with drunken strangers late night under a pojangmacha.

POCHA #pojangmacha #korea #life #booze

A photo posted by johnerrin (@johnerrin) on Feb 13, 2016 at 5:29am PST

Pojangmachas or “covered wagons” are the original food truck. The bright orange or yellow-tented carts function as restaurants, usually with simple menus of traditional street food like sundae (blood sausage), ddeokbokki (tangy rice cakes) and odeng (fish cakes), all of which can be washed down with a glass of soju, makgeolli (rice wine) or maegju (beer). Each pojangmacha has a table and chairs for comfort and a tarp over top to protect patrons from rain or cold. Entering a pojangmacha as a foreigner is daunting at first, especially if you don’t speak Korean, but all you have to do is point to the dish you want to try. Oh, and there aren’t bathrooms inside the tents; that toilet paper hanging from the ceiling is meant to be your napkin.

4. Learn to make your own kimchi.

Finally, done packing all the order kimchi in those beautiful jars. Thosr in the bigger mason jar is kept for further development improvement!! #eeeeeats #improvement #product #bitesize #cabbage #blocks #greenradish #pickles #sauerkraut #kimchi #kimchibrine #feedfeed #healthy #healthyfood #vegetables #glutenfree #pretty #breakfast #brunch #lunch #dinner #instapic #instagood #feedfeed #nomnom #asianfood

A photo posted by MG (@mgkhar) on Feb 16, 2016 at 4:38am PST

Eating a crisp, spicy bite of kimchi is like tasting a piece of Korea’s history. The red chili pepper coated fermented vegetables (usually cabbage, radish, or cucumber) date back to the 7th century, and today it’s almost impossible to have a meal without the popular side dish. To gain deeper knowledge about the traditional cuisine, visit Museum Kimchikan (originally Kimchi Field Museum), in Seoul where you can sample a selection of almost 200 varieties of kimchi. The museum also offers cooking classes and an array of exhibits including ‘A Reinterpretation of the Culture of Kimchi,’ ‘Birth and Evolution of Kimchi’ and the curious ‘Sound of Kimchi’s Flavor’.

5. Feast on desserts in quirky cafés.

🍠 👩 foodkoreaguide.com/dessert/cafe-bora 무엇: 딸기빙수 ,보라아이스크림, 자색고구마칩 어디: 카페보라, 서울시 종로구 소격동 149-5 가격: 6500, 3500 원 – 자색고구마칩 (빙수시키면 서비스) What: Strawberry Bingsu, Baro Ice Cream, Purple Sweet Potato Chips Where: Cafe Bora, 149-5 Sogyeok-dong Jongno-gu Seoul Price: 6500, 3500 KRW – Chips are service if ordering Bingsu Photo by: @hyun_sophia 태그 #food_korea 로 특집 할수 있어요. 추가로 다음 정보는 알려 주세요: 음식 이름, 식당 이름, 가격, 주소 Tag #food_korea to be featured. Add what, where and price

A photo posted by 푸드 코리아 가이드 – Food Korea Guide (@food_korea) on Dec 18, 2015 at 4:18pm PST

Coffee shops in Korea aren’t for studying as much as they are for socializing and entertainment. Peruse any street and you’re sure to stumble upon a fancy theme from the trendy dog-and-cat variety to dress-up shops. Regardless of the café décor, the dessert menu is bound to be stunning. Some café themes are the desserts, like Monster Cupcakes in Seoul while others specialize in selling a mix of treats. For an authentic Korean confection with a chilled, sugary punch, try bingsu, a combo of shaved ice, condensed milk, ice cream, rice cakes and sweet red beans. Sulbing is a creamier bingsu that uses frozen milk chips instead of shaved ice. Or opt for the melting mounds of ice cream, fresh fruit, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce folded into a warm, thick waffle.