This sweet treat is a pan-fried flatbread most popularly filled with a mixture of brown sugar that gets melted down into a syrupy and slightly crumbly texture in the middle.
Really good hotteoks have a crispy exterior while the dough is chewy. I’ve tried a brown sugar-filled version at Gwangjang Market, a bustling street food market in Seoul, which, if you’re into the food scene or curious about South Korea, you’ve probably seen countless videos. (It’s as wonderful and delicious as you imagine.) The one at Gwangjang was pan-fried, and it was good!
But a savory version I found was even better. I went to a popular vendor located at Namdaemun Market, a bustling marketplace that sells everything: clothes, socks, hats, jewelry, kitchenware, you name it.
This hotteok is filled with japchae — stir-fried Korean glass noodles — and always has a long line. I waited 15 minutes or so on a Friday evening, and compared to even some weekday afternoons I’ve seen, I got lucky.
I can see why they’re so popular! They were deep-fried and hot and crispy on the outside with a chewy doughy middle, and the flavors of the seasoned glass noodles made this usually dessert-like option taste new. I would get it and even wait in line for it again.
And FYI, hotteoks are best eaten right away, standing on the street curb, gasping between bites as steam rises from the freshly-fried filling.
