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''Pojangmacha'' (포장마차) is form of commercial establishment based out of a small tent (sometimes on wheels) or
street stall found in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. These establishment sell popular street foods, such as ''
hotteok
''Hotteok'' (, ), sometimes called Hoeddeok, is a type of filled pancake; and is a popular street food in South Korea. It originates in Korean Chinese cuisine, when it was first brought into Korea from China during the 19th century.
Preparati ...
'', ''
gimbap
''Gimbap'' (), also romanized as kimbap, is a Korean dish made from cooked rice and ingredients such as vegetables, fish, and meats that are rolled in '' gim''—dried sheets of seaweed—and served in bite-sized slices.
* The origins of gim ...
'', ''
tteokbokki
(), or simmered rice cake, is a popular Korean food made from small-sized (long, white, cylinder-shaped rice cakes) called (; "rice cake noodles") or commonly (; " rice cakes").
* Eomuk (fish cakes), boiled eggs, and scallions are some commo ...
'', ''
sundae
A sundae () is an ice cream dessert of American origin that typically consists of one or more scoops of ice cream topped with sauce or syrup and in some cases other toppings such as: sprinkles, whipped cream, marshmallows, peanuts, maraschino ...
'',
dakkochi(Korean skewered chicken)'', ''
odeng'', ''
mandu'', and ''
anju'' (dishes accompanied with drinking). In the evening, many of these establishments serve alcoholic beverages such as
soju
(; Hangul: ; Hanja: ) is a clear and colorless Korean distilled alcoholic beverage. It is usually consumed neat. Its alcohol content varies from about 12.9% to 53% alcohol by volume (ABV), although since 2007 low alcohol soju below 20% h ...
. Pojangmacha literally means "covered wagon" in
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
.
''Pojangmacha'' is a popular place to have a snack or drink late into the night. The food sold in these places can usually be eaten quickly while standing or taken away. Some offer cheap chairs or benches for customers to sit, especially the ones serving late night customers who come to drink soju.
, there were approximately 3,100 in Seoul. This number has declined since city officials sought to shut them down, as they are considered by them to be eyesores, illegal and unsanitary.
[Oh, Esthe]
"Guide to pojangmacha: Why Koreans love drinking in tents"
''CNN Go''. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-13
Jongno is the most famous area for Pojangmacha but you can still find some decent food in Gwangjang and Namdaemun markets. Some pojangmacha in Jongno and other areas now offer set menus, with a combination of individual snacks put together in one plate.
Today, some places have even taken to calling themselves, indoor pojangmacha (실내포장마차), which have nothing to do with tents or carts. Indoor pojangmacha are essentially just bars that have decided to adopt the name to imply the inexpensive, casual atmosphere of the original version.
In one sense, pojangmacha are new: They have existed in Korea for fewer than 60 years. But in another sense, they carry on a long Korean tradition. For centuries, Korean peddlers provided goods, services and food by moving to where the customers were and not forcing their customers to come to them. Pojangmacha are merely the latest manifestation of this type of Korean service; fast food and drink that is provided somewhere close to customers’ workplaces and homes. Pojangmacha first began to spring up early in the 1950s in and around the Cheonggyecheon in Seoul. The first pojangmacha were quite different from their modern pojangmacha. They were small cars and carts, exposed to the elements, which sold small snacks and drinks. Later, some clever merchants began to cover their carts with an orange tarp, provide stools to sit on, and sell small appetizers. This eventually became the norm, with a tent containing a small cart and a handful of stools to sit on. As time went by pojangmacha began to get larger and to feature tables. In the 1970s pojangmacha flourished in Seoul as the Palli-palli (빨리-빨리: “hurry up”) culture of Korea kept Koreans at work late. As Seoulites streamed out of work, they stopped at a pojangmacha for a quick drink and a bite to eat. Today, the Pojangmacha menus have become increasingly diverse and the seating became even more comfortable. You can find many pojangmacha in the back streets of Seoul, Daegu, Daejeon, and Busan.
See also
*
Street food in South Korea Street food in South Korea has traditionally been seen as a part of popular culture in Korea. Historically, street food mainly included foods such as ''Eomuk'', ''Bungeo-ppang'' and ''Tteok-bokki''. Street food has been sold through many types of re ...
*
List of markets in South Korea
Major cities in South Korea typically have several traditional markets, each with vendors selling a wide variety of goods including fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, breads, clothing, textiles, handicrafts, souvenirs, and Korean traditional medic ...
*
Yatai (retail)
A is a small, mobile food stall in Japan typically selling ramen or other food. The name literally means "shop stand".
The stall is set up in the early evening on pedestrian walkways and removed late at night or in the early morning hours.
...
*
Food cart
A food cart is a mobile kitchen set up on the street to prepare and sell street food to passers-by. Food carts are often found in cities worldwide selling food of every kind.
Food carts come in two basic styles. One allows the vendor to sit o ...
References
Montgomery, Charles. “Why Pojangmacha Street Food Is What You Need.” 10 Directory, 26 Oct. 2016, 10mag.com/why-pojangmacha-street-food-is-what-you-need/.*
South Korean cuisine
South Korea is a country in East Asia constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. It is bordered to the north by North Korea, and the two countries are separated by the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Some dishes are shared by the two Korea ...
{{Street food
Food retailers of South Korea
Street food
South Korean cuisine
Types of drinking establishment