🎒 Essential Tools for Korean Street Food Adventures
🌐 Saily eSIM – Navigate Markets Like a Local
Essential for Naver Map (street vendor locations), Papago translator (ask about ingredients), and calling ahead to markets. Data from $3.99—activate on arrival!
🏥 SafetyWing Travel Insurance
Street food adventures covered! Medical emergencies, trip issues, lost items. Covers South Korea + 180 countries. From $45/month. Travel with confidence.
🔒 NordVPN – Safe Market WiFi
Protect your data when using public market WiFi to upload Instagram food photos. Access blocked content. Essential digital security tool.
Korean Vegan Street Food Guide 2026
15+ Street Snacks • Seoul, Busan, Gyeongju • Prices ₩2,000-5,000 • Safety Tips
South Korea’s street food scene is LEGENDARY—sizzling hotteok on winter streets, spicy tteokbokki from pojangmacha carts, fish-shaped bungeoppang filled with red bean. But here’s the challenge: traditional Korean street food often hides fish sauce, anchovy broth, or dairy. This 2026 guide reveals which street snacks are accidentally vegan, which can be modified, and where to find the best vegan street food in Seoul, Busan, and Gyeongju.
⚠️ CRITICAL: What Looks Vegan But ISN’T
- Regular Tteokbokki: Red sauce = fish/anchovy broth + fish cakes (odeng). NOT vegan unless specifically “gireum tteokbokki” (oil version).
- Hotteok: Dough often contains milk/milk powder. ALWAYS ask first!
- Gimbap: May contain crab sticks, fish cake, egg. Request “yache gimbap” (vegetable only) and specify NO egg.
- Many sauces: Fish sauce, oyster sauce, anchovy stock hidden everywhere.
🌟 Quick Facts:
- Most street snacks: ₩2,000-5,000 ($1.50-4 USD)
- Night markets = harder (meat/seafood dominated)
- Winter = hotteok season (Nov-Feb)
- Learn: “Chaesik juui-ja” (채식주의자) = vegan
- Naver Map > Google Maps (essential!)
✅ SAFE: Accidentally Vegan Street Food
These are typically vegan by default (but always ask to confirm!)
1. Roasted Sweet Potato (고구마)
THE quintessential Korean winter street snack. Vendors roast sweet potatoes in drum ovens—you’ll smell them from blocks away. Sweet, warm, simple perfection.
Price: ₩2,000-4,000 ($1.50-3 USD) • Season: Oct-March (peak winter) • Safety: 100% vegan
2. Roasted Chestnuts (군밤)
Warm, nutty, served in paper cones. Fall/winter favorite. Sometimes also roasted ginkgo nuts available.
Price: ₩3,000-5,000 ($2-4 USD) • Where: Street carts in busy areas, near subway exits • Season: Fall-Winter
3. Fresh Fruit & Tanghulu (탕후루)
Tanghulu = fruit (strawberries, grapes, tangerines) covered in crunchy sugar glaze. Trendy, photogenic, delicious! Also plain fruit cups/skewers.
Price: ₩3,000-6,000 ($2-5 USD) • Where: Night markets, Myeongdong, Hongdae • Best: Strawberry tanghulu
4. Tornado Potato (회오리 감자)
Spiral-cut potato on a stick, deep-fried and crispy. Get it plain with salt or plant-based spices. Avoid cheese/bacon toppings!
Price: ₩3,000-5,000 ($2-4 USD) • Where: Tourist areas, markets • Order: Plain or with paprika seasoning
5. Fresh Fruit Juice (생과일 주스)
Watermelon, strawberry, orange juice freshly pressed. Refreshing in summer!
Price: ₩3,000-5,000 ($2-4 USD) • Where: Markets, beach areas • Season: Spring-Summer
⚠️ ASK FIRST: Can Be Vegan (With Modifications)
Hotteok (호떡) – Sweet Pancakes
THE quintessential Korean winter street food! Filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, peanuts/seeds. Crispy outside, melty inside. Served in paper cup, VERY hot (don’t burn mouth!).
Dough often contains milk or milk powder! Depends on vendor’s recipe. Plain/seed-filled versions MORE likely to be vegan. Specialty flavors (green tea, corn, black rice) USUALLY contain dairy.
“우유 들어가요?” (U-yu deul-eo-ga-yo?) = “Does this contain milk?”
Price: ₩2,000-3,000 ($1.50-2 USD) • Where: Everywhere in winter! Myeongdong, markets, subway exits • Season: Oct-March • Marketed as: “Honey hotteok” (but usually brown sugar)
Gimbap (김밥) – Seaweed Rice Rolls
Korea’s answer to sushi! Rice + vegetables wrapped in seaweed (gim). Made fresh at street stalls. Super affordable grab-and-go food.
Traditional gimbap contains: crab sticks, fish cake, spam, ham, egg. “Vegetable gimbap” may STILL have these!
- Request “yache gimbap” (야채 김밥) = vegetable gimbap
- Say “NO egg, NO crab, NO fish cake”
- Usually includes: pickled radish, carrot, cucumber, spinach, burdock root
Price: ₩2,500-4,000 ($2-3 USD) per roll • Where: Everywhere! Markets, street stalls, takeaway shops • Also Try: Mayak gimbap (mini rolls)
Gireum Tteokbokki (기름떡볶이) – Oil Fried Rice Cakes
This is THE vegan-friendly tteokbokki! Rice cakes fried in oil (not red sauce). No fish broth! Seasoned with soy sauce or chili. Can be very spicy!
The common RED SAUCE tteokbokki is NOT vegan! Contains fish/anchovy broth + fish cakes (odeng). Do not eat unless specifically “gireum tteokbokki”!
Tongin Market (통인시장) in Seoul = famous for gireum tteokbokki! Several stalls offer it. This is your best bet.
Price: ₩3,000-5,000 ($2-4 USD) • Best Location: Tongin Market, Seoul • Flavors: Mild (soy sauce) or spicy (chili)
Bindaetteok (빈대떡) – Mung Bean Pancakes
Savory pancakes made from mung beans + vegetables. Often vegan by default! Crispy, hearty, delicious. Dip in soy sauce.
Price: ₩3,000-5,000 ($2-4 USD) • Where: Markets, especially Gyeongju • Best with: Soy sauce for dipping
Bungeoppang (붕어빵) – Fish-Shaped Bread
Adorable fish-shaped pastries (like Japanese taiyaki)! Crispy outside, filled with red bean paste, custard, cheese, or Nutella. Winter specialty.
Traditionally made with dairy and eggs! Some vendors now offer vegan versions. Red bean filling MORE likely to be vegan than custard/cheese.
Price: ₩1,500-3,000 ($1-2 USD) • Where: Winter street carts • Try: Croissant-bungeoppang (croissant pastry version!)
🍡 Traditional Korean Sweets (Usually Vegan)
Plain Tteok (떡) – Rice Cakes
Sweet rice cakes (mochi-like texture). Usually vegan! Different from tteokbokki rice cakes. Look for colorful varieties.
Price: ₩2,000-4,000 • Where: Markets, traditional sweet shops
Dalgona (달고나) – Toffee Candy
Yes, from Squid Game! Melted sugar candy with shapes stamped in. Fun, nostalgic, vegan!
Price: ₩1,000-2,000 • Where: Tourist areas, markets
Songpyeon (송편)
Sweet filled rice cakes (Chuseok holiday). Usually vegan but check for honey.
Season: Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving, usually September)
Mattang (맛탕)
Deep-fried caramelized sweet potato. Crispy sugar shell, soft inside. Very sweet!
Tip: Get caramelized version (not cheap syrup drizzle)
📍 Where to Find Vegan Street Food
🏙️ Seoul
Tongin Market (통인시장)
THE place for gireum tteokbokki (oil-fried rice cakes)! Several food stalls offer vegan-friendly options. Unique “dosirak cafe” system—buy coins, exchange for food.
Metro: Line 3, Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 2
Myeongdong (명동)
Tourist central = lots of hotteok, tanghulu, tornado potatoes. Busy, vibrant, lots of choices. Check ingredients!
Best for: Tanghulu, hotteok (ask about milk!), fruit vendors
Hongdae (홍대)
University area = young, trendy. More vegan awareness. Modern street food stalls.
Best for: Trendy snacks, juice stands, sweet potato vendors
Gwangjang Market (광장시장)
Famous traditional market. Mostly non-vegan BUT has bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes). Great atmosphere!
Warning: Mostly meat/seafood focused
🌊 Busan
Gukje Market (국제시장)
Request yache gimbap (vegetable rolls), bindaetteok. Sweet potato vendors.
Gamcheon Culture Village
Spotted “Vegan Food” sign! Colorful mochi with fruity syrup. Strawberry & mango flavors.
Unique find: Takeaway stand with rainbow mochi
Beach Areas (Haeundae, Gwangalli)
Fresh fruit vendors, juice stands, roasted sweet potato in season.
🏛️ Gyeongju
Historic city with traditional street food. Bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) common sight. Some vendors offer vegan Hwangnam-ppang (red bean bread—ask about dairy).
Best for: Bindaetteok, traditional sweets, roasted chestnuts (fall/winter)
🗣️ Essential Korean Phrases
I’m vegan:
채식주의자예요
(Chaesik juui-ja-ye-yo)
Does this have milk?:
우유 들어가요?
(U-yu deul-eo-ga-yo?)
No meat:
고기 없어요
(Gogi eob-seo-yo)
No egg:
계란 없어요
(Gye-ran eob-seo-yo)
No fish sauce:
액젓 없어요
(Aek-jeot eob-seo-yo)
Only vegetables:
야채만 주세요
(Ya-chae-man ju-se-yo)
💡 Survival Tips
1. Night Markets Are HARD
Dominated by meat and seafood. Look for fruit vendors and hotteok (ask about milk first!). Don’t expect many options.
2. Use Naver Map (NOT Google!)
Google Maps doesn’t work properly in Korea (government restrictions). Naver Map shows vendor locations, reviews, hours. Get Saily eSIM for data!
3. Papago > Google Translate
Papago (Naver’s translator) works better for Korean. Use photo translation for ingredient lists!
4. Winter = Best Season
Hotteok, roasted sweet potato, chestnuts, bungeoppang = all winter specialties (Oct-March). More vegan-friendly options!
5. Don’t Go Hungry
Have backup snacks from convenience stores (nuts, dried fruit). Street food can be limited for vegans—don’t rely on it 100%.
6. Happy Cow Is Your Friend
HappyCow app shows vegan/vegetarian restaurants + street food vendor updates. Cross-reference with Naver Map.
🏪 Convenience Store Backup Options
When street food fails, hit up 7-Eleven, CU, GS25, or Emart:
- Nuts (plain, salted)
- Dried fruit
- Plain rice crackers
- Some chips (check ingredients—many have milk powder!)
- Fresh fruit cups
- Roasted seaweed snacks
- Soy milk (두유)
🌟 Final Thoughts
Korean street food as a vegan requires detective work. Fish sauce hides everywhere. “Vegetable” dishes may still contain seafood. Night markets are meat/seafood dominated. BUT—roasted sweet potatoes, chestnuts, tanghulu, and tornado potatoes are reliably vegan. Hotteok and gimbap can be vegan if you ask the right questions. And gireum tteokbokki at Tongin Market is absolutely worth the trip.
Arm yourself with Korean phrases, get data with Saily eSIM for Naver Map, and don’t be afraid to ask vendors directly. The adventure is half the fun—and when you bite into a piping hot hotteok on a cold Seoul night (after confirming it’s dairy-free!), you’ll know it was worth the effort.
Ready to Navigate Korean Street Food?
Get your travel essentials:
Updated: January 2026 • Research: 2025-2026 traveler reports, vendor surveys, Happy Cow community
Leave a Reply