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What to eat in South Chungcheong

Written by hand, not generated. Dishes, markets, timing and prices for South Chungcheong.

Eating in South Chungcheong: a local guide

Chungnam has both West Sea tidal flats and broad farmland, so salted seafood, oysters and shellfish sit alongside grain-based cooking. Each county has its own speciality, which means what you eat changes sharply depending on where you are headed.

What people eat here

  • Eori guljeot (salted oysters) Seosan

    Oysters salted, then dressed with chilli powder. Eaten in small amounts as a side dish.

  • Gegukji Seosan and Taean

    A stew of crab and aged kimchi, descended from the preserving habits of the tidal flat villages.

  • Ureok jeotguk Taean

    A clear soup made from dried rockfish, eaten as a hangover cure.

  • Byeongcheon sundae Byeongcheon, Cheonan

    Blood sausage made with small intestine, served with soup and rice.

  • Grilled hanwoo beef Hongseong and Yesan

    Cattle country, so butcher-restaurants where you buy the meat and grill it on the spot are common.

Where the food is

Ganggyeong salted seafood market

The trading centre at the Geum River mouth, deepest in stock during kimchi season.

Seosan Dongbu Market

A market for salted oysters and West Sea seafood.

Anmyeondo, Taean

A coastal stretch of autumn prawn and grilled shellfish restaurants.

Byeongcheon sundae street

A short street of blood sausage specialists.

Hongseong and Yesan beef streets

Butcher-restaurant clusters in the cattle-raising districts.

When to go

  • Oysters are in season from November to February.
  • Prawns are best around Anmyeondo in September and October.
  • The Ganggyeong market is busiest during kimchi-making season, November and December.

Worth knowing

  • If you are combining a visit with mudflat activities, check the tide table first — it will otherwise collide with your meal times.
  • Parking along the coast is very hard during prawn season.
  • Butcher-restaurants charge a table fee on top of the price of the meat.
  • Salted seafood is heavily salted. If you are buying it as a gift, ask how to store it.

What it costs — Blood sausage soup runs around KRW 9,000; for beef, expect butcher prices plus a table charge of KRW 4,000-6,000 per person.

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What to Eat in South Chungcheong — Local Food Guide | TastyLog