When people think of Korean food, many foreigners first think of kimchi, bibimbap, bulgogi, samgyeopsal, and tteokbokki, which we have already introduced in our earlier guide.
These famous dishes are a great place to start on your first trip to Korea.
But there is much more to Korean food.
Beyond the dishes that are already well known internationally, Korea has a wide variety of soups, noodles, dumplings, street snacks, traditional foods, and desserts.
In this guide, we introduce 10 more Korean foods worth trying on your first trip to Korea.
This is not a ranking of the most famous Korean foods. Instead, we selected dishes that are reasonably approachable for first-time visitors while still giving you a chance to experience Korean flavors and food culture.
Why Did We Choose These 10 Foods?
Interest in Korean food continues to grow around the world.
In a 2025 overseas Korean food consumer survey conducted by Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute, 11,000 consumers in 22 cities were surveyed.
The survey found that 68.6% were familiar with Korean food. Among people who had tried Korean food, 94.2% were satisfied, while 80.6% said they were willing to eat it again.
These results show how positively many overseas consumers respond to Korean food.
However, the Korean foods that are popular overseas are not always the foods that are most interesting for a first trip to Korea.
So, for this list, we considered several things:
- Is the food reasonably approachable for a first-time visitor?
- Is it worth trying in Korea?
- Does it offer a different eating experience?
- Does it show something interesting about Korean food culture?
After considering these points, we selected the following 10 foods.
1. Sundubu-jjigae
Sundubu-jjigae is a Korean stew made with very soft tofu cooked in a hot broth.
It is usually served in a hot stone or earthenware bowl, and an egg is sometimes added at the end.
Depending on the restaurant, the stew may contain seafood, pork, or other ingredients.
What Does It Taste Like?
The broth is usually savory and spicy, while the soft tofu has a very gentle texture.
The level of spiciness can vary from one restaurant to another.
If you are sensitive to spicy food, ask about the spice level before ordering.
A Simple Way to Try It
Sundubu-jjigae is usually served with rice.
Try a spoonful of the stew together with some rice. The rice can make the spicy broth feel a little milder.
2. Naengmyeon
Naengmyeon is one of the more unusual Korean foods for many first-time visitors.
The name refers to cold noodles, and the noodles are served chilled.
Two common styles are mul-naengmyeon, served in a cold broth, and bibim-naengmyeon, mixed with a spicy sauce.
What Does It Taste Like?
Mul-naengmyeon is generally cool, light, and refreshing.
Bibim-naengmyeon has a stronger spicy and tangy flavor.
The noodles also have a distinctive chewy texture that is different from many familiar wheat noodles.
Which One Should You Try First?
If you are not used to cold noodles, start with mul-naengmyeon.
If you enjoy stronger and spicier flavors, bibim-naengmyeon is another good choice.
Try Naengmyeon on a Hot Day
There is something especially refreshing about eating a bowl of cold noodles on a hot Korean summer day.
3. Jajangmyeon
Jajangmyeon is a very familiar noodle dish in Korea.
It was influenced by Chinese cuisine but developed into its own Korean style.
Thick noodles are covered with a dark sauce made with chunjang, usually cooked together with ingredients such as onions and pork.
What Does It Taste Like?
Despite its dark color, jajangmyeon is generally not spicy.
The sauce has a rich, savory, slightly sweet flavor.
The noodles and sauce are mixed together before eating.
Why Try It in Korea?
Jajangmyeon is interesting because it is part of everyday Korean food culture.
It is not only something visitors eat while traveling. It is also a familiar meal for many Koreans.
4. Samgyetang
Samgyetang is a whole young chicken stuffed with ingredients such as glutinous rice, ginseng, and jujubes, then slowly cooked in a broth.
It is especially associated with summer in Korea.
What Does It Taste Like?
The chicken is tender, and the broth is generally mild and savory.
The ginseng gives the broth a distinctive aroma, which may be unfamiliar to some first-time visitors.
Why Try It in Korea?
Samgyetang offers a chance to experience an important part of Korean food culture: the tradition of eating nourishing foods during certain seasons.
It is also a good way to experience a more traditional Korean meal.
5. Kalguksu
Kalguksu is a Korean noodle dish made with dough that is cut into noodles with a knife and cooked in broth.
The name literally means “knife-cut noodles.”
The broth can be made with different ingredients, including anchovies, clams, chicken, or other ingredients depending on the restaurant.
What Does It Taste Like?
Kalguksu usually has a warm, mild, and savory broth with soft noodles.
It can be a good choice for visitors who are not comfortable with spicy Korean food.
A Korean Combination to Try
Try kalguksu with kimchi.
The warm, mild noodles and spicy, crunchy kimchi make a familiar Korean combination.
6. Mandu
Mandu are Korean dumplings filled with ingredients such as meat, tofu, and vegetables.
They can be steamed, pan-fried, or added to soup.
What Does It Taste Like?
The filling is usually savory and juicy, while the wrapper can be soft and chewy when steamed or crisp when pan-fried.
The exact flavor depends on the filling, which may include meat, tofu, vegetables, or a combination of ingredients.
Why Try Mandu?
Mandu can be one of the easiest Korean foods for a first-time visitor to approach.
If you already enjoy dumplings, the basic idea will feel familiar, while the fillings and preparation give you a Korean-style experience.
How Should You Try Them?
Steamed mandu are an easy place to start.
If you prefer something crispy, try pan-fried mandu.
You can also try mandu-guk, a Korean dumpling soup.
7. Gamjatang
Gamjatang is a rich Korean soup made with pork backbones, potatoes, vegetables, and other ingredients.
Despite its name, which includes the word gamja meaning potato, pork backbone is an important part of the dish.
What Does It Taste Like?
Gamjatang usually has a rich, spicy, and hearty broth.
The pork bones give the soup a deep flavor, while perilla seed powder and Korean seasonings add additional flavor and aroma.
The appearance may seem a little unfamiliar at first, but it is worth trying if you want to experience a more local-style Korean meal.
And There Is One More Step
When you think you have finished your gamjatang, the meal may not actually be over.
At many restaurants, you can order fried rice after eating the meat and soup.
The restaurant may use some of the remaining broth and seasonings to fry rice in the pan.
This is a familiar way to finish a shared Korean meal.
🐰 Tosil: “Hodong, I ate the gamjatang really well. Are we finished now?”
🐯 Hodong: “Not yet. After gamjatang, you have to try the fried rice. That's the Korean rule!”
🐰 Tosil: “You mean we eat rice after all that?”
🐯 Hodong: “Exactly. The meal isn't really finished until you try the fried rice.”
8. Hotteok
Hotteok is one of Korea's best-known street snacks.
It is made from dough filled with ingredients such as sugar and nuts, then pressed flat and cooked on a hot surface.
What Does It Taste Like?
The outside can be crispy or slightly chewy, while the inside contains a warm, sweet syrup.
Freshly cooked hotteok can be extremely hot inside, so take your first bite carefully.
Where Should You Try It?
If you see hotteok being freshly made at a traditional market or street food stall, that is a great opportunity to try it.
It is a simple way to experience Korean street food culture.
9. Korean Rice Cakes
Korea has many different kinds of rice cakes, known as tteok.
Tteok used for tteokbokki is only one type.
Korean rice cakes are made from rice or other grains, and different varieties can have very different shapes, flavors, and textures.
What Do They Taste Like?
Some are sweet, while others are mild and savory.
Many have a soft or pleasantly chewy texture.
Why Try Them?
Korean rice cake culture goes far beyond tteokbokki.
Visit a traditional market or a Korean rice cake shop and look at the different varieties.
Even if you do not know the names, choosing one that looks interesting can be part of the experience.
10. Bingsu
Bingsu is a popular Korean dessert made with finely shaved ice and various toppings.
Traditional versions often include red beans, while modern versions can include fruit, rice cakes, ice cream, or other toppings.
What Does It Taste Like?
Bingsu is cool and sweet, and the flavor and texture can change significantly depending on the toppings.
Why Try It in Korea?
Having bingsu at a Korean café on a hot day is a great way to experience modern Korean dessert and café culture.
If you like red beans, try traditional patbingsu.
If you prefer fruit, look for a fruit-based bingsu.
You can also share one with friends or family.
Which Foods Should You Try First?
You do not need to try all 10.
Choose a few based on your own taste and comfort level.
If You Are Worried About Spicy Food
Kalguksu · Mandu · Jajangmyeon
These are relatively easy places to start.
If You Want Something Different
Naengmyeon · Gamjatang · Sundubu-jjigae
These dishes offer a different Korean eating experience.
If You Want to Experience Korean Food Culture
Samgyetang · Korean Rice Cakes · Hotteok
These foods can introduce you to different parts of Korean food and everyday culture.
If You Want a Korean Dessert or Snack
Bingsu · Hotteok
Both are good choices when you want something sweet after a meal or while exploring Korea.
A Few Tips for First-Time Visitors
The same Korean dish can taste quite different depending on the restaurant.
For example, the broth and spice level of sundubu-jjigae or naengmyeon can vary from place to place.
So if you do not like a dish the first time you try it, it may be worth trying it somewhere else before deciding that the food is not for you.
You also do not need to worry too much when a menu name is unfamiliar.
Look at the pictures on the menu or ask the staff for a recommendation.
If you are unsure what to order, you can also ask the restaurant staff which dish is popular with first-time visitors.
🐰 Tosil: “Hodong, what if I don't know what some of these dishes are?”
🐯 Hodong: “That's okay. Look at the menu photos first, and if you're still unsure, ask the staff what they recommend.”
🐰 Tosil: “So I don't have to know every Korean food name before I order?”
🐯 Hodong: “Exactly. That's part of the fun of eating in Korea.”
In our earlier guide, we introduced 10 representative Korean foods that I would recommend for people visiting Korea for the first time.
Choosing another 10 dishes for this guide was actually quite difficult.
I did not want to simply choose my personal favorites.
I looked at overseas consumer surveys, food-related opinion data, and the kinds of Korean foods that foreign visitors may encounter during a trip to Korea.
After giving it a lot of thought, I chose 10 foods that are reasonably approachable while still giving you a chance to experience Korean flavors and food culture.
This is not a ranking.
Everyone has different tastes, and the food I enjoy most may not be your favorite.
But if you get the chance to visit Korea, choose a few dishes from this list and give them a try.
You may discover a new Korean food that becomes one of your favorite memories from the trip.
You May Also Like
Korean Spicy Food: Find Your Level
Korean Ramyeon: A Beginner's Guide to Korea's Everyday Noodles
Tteokbokki: A Beginner's Guide to Korea's Famous Rice Cake Dish
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