A Mexican Twist on Popular Korean Street Food

A Mexican Twist on Popular Korean Street Food - The Daebak Company

Walking down the streets of Korea you might be enticed to try some of the delicious snacks some of the vendors might have to offer. Finding hard to resist the aromas of goodies such as tornado potato, hotteok, yakgwa and others. But what if you were able to find those same snacks millions of miles of away in a different country? Walk down any of the streets in Mexico and you’ll be surprised to find some of the same snacks found in Korea with a slight twist!

  • Tornado Potato (Hweori Gamja): Papas en Espiral

Hweori gamja, also known as tornado potato, consists of a fried potato cut into a spiral and usually “served” on a stick. You can enjoy it with toppings such as hot dogs or powdered cheese. Papas en espiral, translated to spiral potatoes in English, is prepared in the same way. However, the snack is topped off with mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, nacho cheese and hot sauce! Both versions are too good to pass up!

  • Hotteok: Pan de Nata

Hotteok is similar to a pancake usually stuffed with dark brown sugar, cinnamon powder and at times some sort of nuts. Pan de nata, or clotted cream bread in English, is similar to hotteok in the sense that it is a pancake-like dessert; however, sometimes it is eaten on its own or enjoyed with caramel and Nutella. Whether you’re in the mood for cinnamon or chocolate, both sweets should be in your list of foods to try out!

  • Yakgwa: Jamoncillo

Yakgwa is a traditional Korean sweet, usually in the shape of a flower. The goodie is made with wheat-based hangwa, honey, cheongju, sesame oil, ginger juice and deep fried. Jamoncillo, or Mexican fudge, is a popular sweet that you can usually find in different shapes. The sweet consists of condensed milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and topped off with pecans. Both of the goodies are perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth!

  • Bungeo-ppang: Empanadas de Dulce

Bungeoppang is a widely known treat for its cute fish-like shape! Bread batter encasing a sweet red bean filling (or nowadays, fillings such as custard, chocolate and Nutella) is then cooked in a special mold to reveal the sweet carp-shaped pastry. Empanadas de dulce, sweet empanadas in English, is the same concept except instead of being in the shape of fish, these treats are half circles. It consists of a flaky pastry and fillings in various flavors such as caramel, cinnamon apple, and pineapple to name a few! A perfect dessert for on the go, bite into either one and the sweet treat will have you wanting more!

  • Mandu: Empanadas

Mandu, also commonly known as dumplings, is one amongst many popular street foods in Korea. These pockets of deliciousness are usually stuffed with various kinds of meats, vegetables or a mix of both! Empanadas are very similar to mandu in the sense that instead of the case being wonton wrappers (as it’s sometimes made out of) it is a pie-like flaky breading. Have the best of both countries in a pocket-sized treat!

Although these two places are far from each other, one thing that brings them together is their deliciously similar treats! What’s one snack you’re willing to try out? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by Briseida Rivera


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