Foreign Grocery Friday: The French Fry-Encrusted Corn Dogs of Seoul, South Korea

December 9, 2011 at 12:10 PM | by JetSetCD | Comment (1)

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

American amusement parks and state fairs could learn a thing or two from the way South Korea has mastered hot dogs. They're available in every way, including spiral cut, wrapped in bacon, stewed in a curryish chili paste, and nearly tempura-ed with vegetables. Even some rice cakes, like Ddeokbooki, imitate hot dogs. Still, our personal favorite remains the infamous french fry-coated corn dog.

These deep-fried snacks usually figure into visitor's breathless descriptions of Seoul, a little like this: "The palaces! The shopping! And the ice cream cones...they were this tall. And and and the corn dogs were covered in french fries!!"

The taste: A very meaty, flavorful hot dog surrounded by a thick blanket of greasy, crispy, french fry goodness. Often we find corn dogs in the US to be too dry in their breading; not in Seoul they won't be. It's definitely a hearty snack, and eating too many of them during a visit to Seoul could make your face break out from the grease. Still, they're probably healthier than eating at McDonald's every day.

The price: Between 1,500-2,000 Won each, which equals about $1.30-$1.75.

Where to find it: These french fry dogs are strictly a street vendor specialty, so keep your eyes open in the more street food-heavy areas like Myeong-dong, and nearby the large markets like Namdaemun.

Alas, we don't know the proper Korean word for these magical things. If you do know, please share in the comments so we may all order them with confidence. No more pointing, drooling, and nodding our head "yes" before biting in.

If you'd like to share some of your foreign grocery finds, we'd love love love to see them. Send 'em on over via email here and snack on, my friends.

[Photos: Cynthia Drescher]

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