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What to eat in South Jeolla

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

Eating in South Jeolla: a local guide

Tidal flats, an archipelago and wide farmland in one province make for unusually deep supply. Tables come loaded with side dishes, and each city has its own signature ingredient — cockles in Beolgyo, octopus in Mokpo, mustard leaf kimchi in Yeosu.

What people eat here

  • Cockle set meal Beolgyo, Boseong

    Blanched cockles served dressed, in pancakes and in salads across a full table. There is a knack to twisting the shells open with a spoon.

  • Sebal nakji (thin-legged octopus) Mokpo

    A slender long octopus, eaten in clear soup or dressed with sesame oil.

  • Jjangttungeo tang (mudskipper soup) Suncheon and Boseong

    Mudflat fish ground and simmered with soybean paste.

  • Seodae hoe muchim (sole salad) Yeosu

    Sole cured in rice wine vinegar and tossed with vegetables, served alongside mustard leaf kimchi.

  • Rib patty with bamboo rice Damyang

    Chopped and grilled ribs served with rice steamed inside a bamboo tube.

Where the food is

Gyodong Market, Yeosu

A seafood market with a street of evening food tents alongside it.

Mokpo modern history street

A district of surviving old buildings, close to the octopus and croaker restaurants.

Beolgyo cockle street

A street given over to cockle set meal restaurants.

Around Juknokwon, Damyang

A tourist strip of bamboo rice and rib patty restaurants.

Araetjang, Suncheon

One of the largest periodic-and-permanent markets in the province.

When to go

  • Cockles are a winter food, November to March. In summer both supply and flavour drop sharply.
  • Croaker is eaten around Mokpo as a summer restorative, June to August.
  • Spring is the season for webfoot octopus and common octopus.

Worth knowing

  • Many set-meal restaurants only serve two or more people.
  • Accommodation and parking around the Yeosu waterfront are very tight at weekends.
  • Mustard leaf kimchi has a strong aroma. Taste a little before buying if it is new to you.
  • Cockles are sold out of season too, so outside winter it is worth asking where they came from.

What it costsA cockle set meal runs around KRW 20,000 per person, and braised hairtail about KRW 50,000 for two.

KR

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