Coming to Korea allows you to try various types of cuisines and Korean delicacies that you wouldn’t normally be exposed to back home. From kimchi to raw fish to various grilled meats, Korea offers a wealth of tastes to excite your palate. However, let’s face it, sometimes you get in the mood for good old-fashioned Western fare. There are several Western style restaurants serving various kinds of meals throughout Korea, but usually they tend to be expensive (too much so for everyday consumption). So what can you do?
With a little ingenuity, you should be able to recreate the tastes of home using your stove top and all the goods available in the local marts. In order to point you in the right direction, you need to know where to buy the things you need, and what types of shops are available.
The Markets (시장)
The most common sights you’ll see around Korea are the small markets that seemingly sprout up on streets and corners. Going to the market allows you to take part in quite an exciting part of daily life. You can watch (or participate in) a wide array of excitement: a match between two old men haggling over the cost of the freshest catch of the day, ajumma (아줌마, literally, “married woman” but more colloquially, “old woman”) in their best mismatched flowered shirts and overly colorful pants washing and preparing their vegetables, ladies offering up freshly made 떡 (ddawk “Korean rice cake”), etc.
The market will usually contain things used for making Korean food at home, though fruit stands and other culinary choices are offered for cheap prices, paid in cash. If you go often enough, you will start to get recognized by the sellers, who can be quite charming and warm-hearted (some of who may even start offering you special deals, if you’ve been a regular and decent customer). Whatever you do purchase, make sure that you rinse off well!
The Supers (슈퍼)
Just as the name may imply, Korean picked up the beginning of supermarket to name their small marts. A step up from the street-markets, the supers (or sometimes call 마트 “mah-tuh”, which means mart) are located inside. They are usually rather small and dingy and offer only simple food stuffs. You’ll also be able to find alcohol and cigarettes and the sales people are amicable enough. As with the street-markets, you’ll probably want to pay in cash, as credit cards aren’t as widely accepted at these places. You can always ask, though.
The Convenience Stores (편의점)
In Korea, there are a few large chains that have locations nationwide, and a few that are simple stores. These stores are much like the convenience stores back home, offering everything from pens and paper, to snacks, to condoms and wine. They often are signed very well, have clearly marked prices, and are open 24 hours. They do sell cigarettes here for very cheap and some places have plastic tables and chairs which can be used during the nicer times of the year as a cheap, relaxing way of having a drink with friends. When you do this, make sure that you know where a bathroom is close by, because convenience stores rarely have that which would make them most convenient, a bathroom!
The Big Marts (할인 마트)
Korean answers to Wal-Mart and Target, these stores are what we’d call department stores back home. The stores typically sell a wide range of home goods on the first floor and have a grocery section on the basement floor. These are the places where you’ll find a wide range of goods, from food stuffs to spices to some foreign products. It’s a great place to check for things like dairy products, butchered meats and various kinds of beverages. Though it may be confusing at first, the sales floor will be fully staffed with workers who can point you in the right direction (you must either inquire with your magnificent Korean skills or equally magnificent hand gestures and charades). After a while, you’ll get a feel for the layout, as it’s typically the same from store to store. Often, the Western products are in their own area of the store.
These types of stores are E-Mart (이마트), Lotte Mart (롯때마트), or even Costco (코스트코). Costco offers the biggest (figuratively and literally) selection of Western and Korean goods; and as you’ll be buying in bulk, you’ll have a good supply of whatever you need!
The Department Stores (백화점)
The department stores here are a bit different than in America. They are multi-level complexes with each floor dedicated to different needs, from young casual clothes to golfing fashions to shoes, makeup and accessories. As with the big marts, the department stores will also have a large grocery section located on the basement level. Here, you’ll be able to find things not typically in big marts, such as baking items (beyond flour and simple spices) and some of the more unusual Western spices. This is also the place to come for some high-end wines and liquors. With all of these available, you’ll still be paying a bit more than you would in the big marts (the same holds true for everything in the department stores). However, it’s a sign of social rank and success that allows you to shop in the department stores, so why not splurge a little?
The Specialty Stores
These stores are the stores which specialize in one type of product. There are bakeries, butcher shops, cafes, Korean rice cake shops and wines and spirits shops.
Bakeries ? You’ll be able to tell the bakeries without needing to read the Korean (and most places have English signs). Paris Baguette, Tous Le Jours, and Crown Bakery are three of the biggest around today. They all typically have different breads (usually all sweet, except for the baguettes) and cakes to suit your every whim and need. Prices are decent, with a cake costing roughly $10-12.
Butcher’s Shop (정육점)
These are more rare than bakeries, with more people preferring to by their meats in a big mart or department store. However, these shops are just as good, typically offering a wide selection of meat products and cuts. You may want to go here for the experience, but the above mentioned stores are much easier to get what you want.
Cafes and Donut Shops
Cafes and Donut Shops ? Working more than anyone else on the planet and spending their evenings drinking with the boss, Koreans need to find some way to remain alert throughout their long days. Outside of the various energy drinks and hangover cures you’ll find in convenience stores, Koreans have really taken to caffeine. Numerous coffee shops have sprouted up all over the country. You have the choice of sipping on coffee while listening to the number one hits of yesteryear with the old men at 다방 (“ta-bahngs” or coffee shops) to drinking with the younger, trendier patrons of the 커피숍 (“kaw-pee shyohp”). Starbucks, Timothy’s, Coffee Bean, and Caffe Pascuccis Shop have all found homes on almost every block in Korea, competing with smaller, Korean owned places.
If you are hankering for something sweet with your coffee, you could also opt to frequent the Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme which are starting to give the bakeries a run for their money.
Korean rice cake shops (떡집)
Here is where you come to get fancy Korean rice cakes for the major holidays. The people working here are typically artisans, taking pride in their ability to produce quality rice cakes that are light and delicious. Prices tend to be a little high, but its definitely a reflection of the quality.
Wines and Spirits Stores (주류 판매점)
Much like the stores at home, these stores specialize in wines and hard alcohol, both Western and Korean. They are usually staffed by knowledgeable associates, who can easily recommend something to suit your tastes. They don’t have quite as wide a selection as some of the stores back home, but the prices are fair.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK AROUND A BIT...
In Korea, you should be able to find everything that you need to make all the dishes from back home. For those living outside big cities, the biggest challenge will be trying to recreate the tastes of home with a gas range, a small toaster oven and, if you’re lucky, a microwave. As for food, some of the things that are most difficult to find are things that are suited to the Western palate (mostly spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.). Dill pickles, eggnog, powdered sugar, ginger ale and turkey are all some of the harder things to locate.
That’s not to say that they are totally missing from the Korean peninsula, rather you have to be diligent in your searches. Ask around and you’ll be able to come up with what you need. The worst case scenario is that you’ll have to make what you need from scratch. Again, with a little finesse, three’s little that you won’t be able to enjoy while in Korea.
