A Typical Day’s Eating#

Eating habits can really depend on a person’s schedule, but here’s a general idea for many people living in a busy city like Seoul.

• Breakfast: This can vary a lot. Some people still have a traditional Korean breakfast with rice, soup, and a few side dishes (banchan). But many others grab something quick like toast, a pastry, or just coffee. With Seoul being such a fast-paced place (it’s home to over 10 million people!), skipping breakfast or having something simple on the go is also common, especially during busy work or school days.
• Lunch: Lunch is often eaten outside the home, especially for students and office workers. Casual restaurants specializing in simple stews (jjigae), soups (guk), or rice dishes like bibimbap (mixed rice) or deopbap (rice with toppings) are popular. Many places offer quick, affordable “백반” (baekban) sets – a bowl of rice, soup, and several banchan. Packed lunches (dosirak) are also an option, but eating out or ordering delivery is very widespread.
• Dinner: Dinner is often the most substantial meal of the day. People might eat at home with family, enjoying a range of banchan, soup, and perhaps grilled fish or a meat dish. Eating out for dinner is also very common, whether it’s gathering with friends for Korean BBQ, a bubbling hot pot, or trying different restaurants around the city.

Home-Cooked Meals vs. Street Food#

There’s a clear difference between what you eat at home and what you grab on the street.

• Home Cooking: At home, rice (bap) is always the center of the meal. It’s served with a variety of side dishes called banchan. Kimchi is the most famous banchan, but there are countless types – seasoned vegetables, pickled items, small stir-fries, etc. A meal usually includes a soup or stew (guk or jjigae) and perhaps a main protein dish. Home cooking is about having a balanced spread of many different flavors and textures.
• Street Food: Seoul’s street food scene is lively, but it’s more about snacks or quick, tasty bites than a full, balanced meal. You’ll find vendors selling things like:
  • Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes in a gochujang sauce)
  • Odeng/Eomuk (fish cake skewers in a warm broth)
  • Twigim (various fried items like vegetables, shrimp, or dumplings)
  • Gyeranppang (egg bread)
  • Korean-style hot dogs
  • Bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste, popular in winter) These are perfect for a snack while shopping or exploring, or maybe a cheap, fast lunch if you combine a few things.

Local Ingredients and Flavors#

Korean food, including what’s commonly eaten in Seoul, relies on a few key ingredients and flavor bases:

• Rice: The absolute staple.
• Kimchi: Essential. Made by fermenting cabbage, radish, or other vegetables with chili powder, garlic, ginger, and various seasonings. There are many regional and seasonal varieties.
• Fermented Pastes: Gochujang (red chili paste), Doenjang (soybean paste, like miso but stronger), and Gukganjang (soup soy sauce) are fundamental for soups, stews, sauces, and marinades.
• Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions: Used generously to build flavor.
• Gochugaru: Korean red chili powder, used for heat and color in kimchi and many dishes.
• Sesame: Sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds add a distinct nutty aroma and flavor.
• Anchovy Broth: Dried anchovies and kelp are often boiled to make a flavorful base for soups and stews.

Many dishes balance spicy, savory, and sometimes sweet flavors, with fermentation adding depth.

Festivals and Weekend Dishes#

While daily meals are often practical, special occasions call for specific foods.

• Seollal (Lunar New Year): The must-have dish is Tteokguk – a soup with sliced rice cakes, often garnished with egg, meat, and seaweed. Eating it traditionally means you become one year older.
• Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving): Songpyeon – small, usually crescent-shaped rice cakes filled with sesame seeds, red bean paste, or chestnuts, often steamed over pine needles for fragrance.
• Weekends: Weekends are often when people indulge or gather. Korean BBQ (like Samgyeopsal - pork belly, or Galbi - marinated ribs) is a very popular weekend meal to enjoy with family or friends. Jjigae (stew) is also a comforting weekend staple, such as spicy Kimchi Jjigae or soft tofu Sundubu Jjigae. Eating out for more elaborate meals is common on weekends.

Popular Snacks and Drinks#

Beyond street food, there are other common snacks and drinks:

• Instant Ramen: A huge part of life for many. There are endless varieties, and it’s a quick, cheap, and tasty meal or snack.
• Packaged Snacks: Plenty of chips, cookies, and unique Korean snacks are available in convenience stores and supermarkets. Dried seaweed snacks are popular.
• Coffee: Cafes are everywhere in Seoul. Coffee is a massive part of the daily routine for many.
• Barley Tea (Boricha): Often served instead of water in restaurants and homes. It’s roasted barley brewed into a light, nutty, caffeine-free drink.
• Traditional Teas: Things like green tea, or refreshing drinks like Sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch) and Sikhye (sweet rice drink) are enjoyed.
• Soju & Makgeolli: Soju (a clear spirit, often made from rice) is the most popular alcoholic drink, frequently paired with meals like BBQ or stews. Makgeolli (a cloudy, lightly carbonated rice wine) is another favorite, often drunk from bowls and paired with savory pancakes (jeon).

Food Etiquette and Rituals#

Korean dining has some unwritten rules that are good to know:

• Utensils: Koreans use metal chopsticks and a spoon. The spoon is for rice and soup, while chopsticks are for banchan and other shared dishes. Don’t stick your chopsticks upright in your rice bowl – this is done for offerings to the dead.
• Sharing: Many dishes, especially banchan, stews, and grilled meats, are meant for sharing from communal bowls or platters.
• Pouring Drinks: It’s customary to pour drinks for others at the table, and someone else will pour yours. When receiving a drink, especially from an elder or senior, it’s polite to hold your glass with two hands or one hand supporting the other arm.
• Waiting: It’s polite to wait for the eldest person at the table to start eating before you begin.
• Slurping: Unlike in some cultures, slurping noodles or soup can be acceptable and even seen as enjoying the food.

Understanding these habits gives you a much better sense of the daily life and food culture in Seoul, beyond just eating at tourist spots. Enjoy exploring the flavors!