An unforgettable journey through Namdaemun Market, the oldest and largest traditional Korean market.
Make your way through the very tightly packed Namdaemun Market and follow your nose through a dense maze lined with chili powder used to make kimchi and chili paste, freshly made noodles, mandu dumplings, pickled sesame and more. Bump into people and shove through narrow streets lined with endless vendor stalls, leather goods, apparel, accessories, souvenirs, and pearls.
What is Namdaemun Market known for?
Following our delicious and artistic episode at C. Through Café, we visited Namdaemun Market, the oldest and largest traditional market still in business in Seoul. Namdaemun Market is named after Namdaemun Gate, which was designated the first National Treasure of Korea.
How big is Namdaemun Market?
It first opened in 1964 and has over 10,000 retailers, vendors, and wholesales. It is approximately 66,000 square meters or 16 acres large. This is the only place in Korea where you will find such a large collection of interesting and traditional Korean items for sale.
As we continued our way through Namdaemun Market, we eagerly took in all of the smells, both pleasant and not, as well as the smells of spices that we couldn’t identify, raw fish, grilled meats, and more. It felt like I was back in the Moroccan souks. Every stall was so distinct yet it seamlessly fit together into one cohesive market, creating an intoxicating ambiance. There were markets outside, above ground and underground.
What to buy at Namdaemun Market?
Ultimately, my nose drew me around the corner to Hyojason King Dumpling. I was seduced and tried to break through the crowd hovering over the stall to see where the smell was coming from. Ajummas, a respectful Korean word for a married woman, were hard at work making buns and Mandu non-stop. Mandu is Korean’s version of dumpling. They are steamed, boiled, pan-fried or deep-fried. The style varies by region and has long been a part of Korean royal court cuisine.
You had the option of a savoury mandu kimchi or seasoned pork or sweet mandu with red bean. My mom and I ordered some seasoned pork to start. We ordered a mix of fried and steamed. The Ajumma handed us a plastic bag plump with a handful of Mandus still piping hot. We found a bench across from the stall and sat down for a bite. They were fresh, easy to digest, and addicting beyond belief.
They were so good, we had to go back for dessert. We were debated between the sweet Mandu with red bean or the fresh doughnuts they were baking on the side. But don’t be deceived. Sure they had a regular type of doughnut called kkwabaegi, but they also had chapssal doughnuts filled with sweet red bean or yachae hotteok doughnuts filled with well-seasoned veggies with noodles. We went for the lighter steamed Mandu red bean and it was, of course, so sweet and delicious!
My recommendation would be to come to Namdaemun Market with a wallet full of cash and an empty stomach. Splurge to your hearts desire, wander through the stalls, barter, follow the smells until you land upon something that entices you, and get lost in this 66 acre traditional paradise.
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