Ultimate guide to Korean food souvenirs: What and where to buy

Various grains and legumes are on sale at Gyeongdong Market in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, in this February file photo. Yonhap

Souvenir shopping should be an enjoyable experience, but for foodies visiting Korea, it can be daunting. How many packages of spicy ramyeon (instant noodles) does it take to realize the K-dream? The little banchan, or Korean side dishes, are great, but packing each and every one of them is out of the question.

The Korea Times asked professional chefs based in Korea if they had any ideas or inspiration. Is there really anything more than the classic gim (dried seaweed) and mouth-numbing ramyeon?

Markets are food souvenir gold mines

Chef Joseph Lidgerwood of Evett / Korea Times file

Any supermarket or convenience store can offer an array of food to pack up and take home as souvenirs, but when it comes to buying more authentic gifts, traditional markets are the place to go, according to chefs around the city. Not only do visitors get a more engaging shopping experience, these open air markets and arcades offer the best seasonal ingredients.

“Gyeongdong Market is by far my favorite. It’s a great way to see what’s in season and they have a wide variety of dried goods,” Joseph Lidgerwood, chef of Michelin star restaurant Evett told The Korea Times.

Lidgerwood said he brings his friends and fellow chefs to the market whenever they pay a visit. He also accompanied the Korean Food Promotion Institute to the market at a recent event to promote Korean ingredients to chefs and food experts from around the world.

A variety of side dishes are on display at a Korean market. gettyimagesbank

Annamaria Bortolato, owner and chef of Italian bar and restaurant Perbacco, finds that the market is where you discover not just fresh foods but also fresh ideas.

“I go to the local market nearby so I can take offers and also try something new and in season, like dallae (Korean wild chive) or spring namul (seasonal vegetables or greens),” she said.

The focus on seasonal namul is particularly Korean, and there have been numerous chefs and restaurants who incorporate these ingredients in their dishes.

“I’m actually a huge fan of dallae, (which is) only available a couple months in the spring. I use it at Spill Out for our spring pizza special. It’s one of the main herbs in our green goddess sauce of the green goddess pizza,” Spill Out owner Scott French said.

Packing fresh vegetables may be difficult for international travelers, but markets also carry a wide variety of dried vegetables and other suitcase-suitable goods, making it easier for food lovers to enjoy the flavors they love after returning home. They’re also usually healthier and more unique than mass-produced cookies and noodles.

Korean seasonal greens, called "namul" / gettyimagesbank

Take home Korea’s soul, jang

Among the most recommended souvenirs is jang — Korea’s UNESCO-recognized family of fermented sauces. These include doenjang (soybean paste), ganjang (soy sauce) and gochujang (chili paste), all staples in local cuisine.

Francesco Ghilardi, chef and professor of food and beverages at Woosong University, pointed to the cross-cultural appeal of jang.

“All the fermented soy pastes and sauces!” he said, noting how well they can integrate into other cuisines and cultures.

Jang, the fermented condiments of Korea / Korea Heritage Service

Bortolato is experimenting with jang in her own dishes.

“I’m fascinated these days on the use of doenjang and ganjang. It took me time to realize and understand all the different styles and nuances. For example, I enjoy using doenjang to marinate the seafood, meat and also some vegetables before washing and cooking them,” Bortolato said.

Muryangsu's traditional Korean doenjang (fermented soybean paste) is used by Korea's top chefs such as Anh Sung-jae of Mosu and Kang Min-goo of Mingles. Courtesy of Muryangsu

Jang also makes for a meaningful and practical gift — especially for vegans and vegetarians.

“Two of my closest friends are vegan, so I like to bring them authentic deonjang, so they can cook proper Korean dishes,” Lidgerwood said.

Since jang is usually sold in bulk and unpackaged at markets, it’s often possible to ask for a small taste before buying a more substantial amount from the mountainous piles of fermented bean pastes — an additional perk of shopping in local markets.

“We have these small spoons or some places have toothpicks because so many foreigners ask what they are and are curious. How can they buy something if they don’t know how it tastes? And everyone seems to have different preferences,” Kwon Young-ja, a vendor in Gwangjang Market told The Korea Times. She is one of many market vendors who has seen a rise in the number of international customers.

Micha Richter, chef and owner of The Baker’s Table in Seoul, may be known best for his German bread, but he is also a fan of Korean condiments in his home cooking.

“It took me a while to get used to Korean food when I got here in the beginning, but I really enjoy it and I believe it’s some of the best and healthiest foods around. Most Korean sauces are pretty exciting to use and taste good,” he said, adding that his favorite markets for local ingredients are Bangsan Market and Namdaemun Market, both located in the Jung District of Seoul.

Jang is already making its way into Western cuisine, as more chefs around the world embrace it as a creative element.

Italian Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Ferrari shared his doenjang pasta on his YouTube channel Italy Fabri last year and received more than 240,000 views.

Ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab) / Korea Times file

What chefs wish they could bring home

When asked what they would take home if packaging and other logistics were no barrier, ganjang gejang (soy-marinated crab) was a popular pick.

“I always include soy-marinated crab [when guests come over] since you really can’t find it outside of Korea. I’m absolutely hooked on it. Someone really needs to develop a travel-friendly version,’’ Lidgerwood said.

A typical Korean meal includes a bowl of steamed rice, soup and a handful of side dishes, called "banchan." gettyimagesbank

Beyond the food itself, chefs are also inspired by Korea’s culture of shared dining, especially how banchan-filled tables allow each person to customize their meal.

“(My family) loved the concept of mixing and matching every single bite with the side dishes. You eat ‘the same dish’ all together but at the same time, everybody is free to eat differently with different combinations. I think this is what can be interesting for foreigners,” Bortolato said.

She even dreams of a “Korean meal starter kit.”

“It would be nice to find a travel set of Korean ingredients everyone has in their fridge — sesame oil, sesame seeds, gim and soy sauce.”

Cookies shaped like meju (dried, fermented blocks of soybeans) are signature items at the Korean food souvenir shop Bukchon Gwang. Courtesy of Bukchon Gwang

Where traditions meet trends

For travelers seeking curated, design-savvy items, shops like Bukchon Gwang and 365iljang are worth visiting.

Bukchon Gwang, nestled in the heart of Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village, opened in 2024 with a mission to spotlight Korea’s fermented food culture in a modern, globally accessible way. Calling itself a “K-traditional Fermented Food Souvenir Shop,” it offers a wide range of artisanal products from regional soy sauces and vinegars to locally made kimchi and cheese. Visitors can also try makgeolli (unfiltered Korean rice wine) and herbal teas.

Its signature items — soy sauce caramel and cookies shaped like fermented soybean cakes — creatively reinterpret Korea’s fermented staples into giftable treats. The caramels showcase the rich umami of traditionally brewed soy sauce, while the cookies mimic the look of meju, the fermented soybean blocks used to make doenjang and ganjang.

At Gwangjang Market, 365iljang takes a more community-driven approach. This specialty grocery store highlights quality local brands from across Korea, stocking everything from regional snacks and beverages to sauces and fresh ingredients.

Beyond food, 365iljang also creates market-inspired merchandise, reimagining classic street food items as souvenirs, such as magnets shaped like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), keychains that look like bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry) and washi tape patterned with bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes). It also honors the market’s history with a mother-of-pearl wine opener crafted by a 45-year-old lacquerware artisan who works in the market and wine bags made from hanbok fabric and sewn by local seamstresses.

Han Sang-hee is a former staff reporter at The Korea Times and former editor at CNN Travel. She is based in Stuttgart, Germany, but now lives in Seoul with her Italian husband and two daughters and shares stories online. Follow @rachelsanghee on Instagram.