Seoul's Street Vendors

Even though temps are below freezing here in Korea (it snowed last night, and there's still a fine dusting on the ground today), the food vendors are out in force, serving up everything from roasted chestnuts (bahm) and sweet potatoes (goguma) to rice cakes and worms. What what? Yes, there's this thing Koreans like to snack on called bondegi; it's boiled silkworm larvae (I just threw up in my mouth). Oh well, to each his own. My uncle insists that it's good stuff although he admits he hasn't touched the wormies in about 20 years. Yeah, you know, I think I'll take a pass. Plenty of other lovelies to stuff myself with.


Roasting chestnuts on a wooden charcoal pit ...


Chrysanthemum flour cakes stuffed with sweet red bean and hot off the griddle (sooo gooood).


Even better: Hodukk ... fried sweet rice cakes.


Bondeggi to the left, to the left ... spicy saute in the middle, fishcakes to the right.