A Bread Lover's Guide: Must-Try Popular Breads in Korea

When thinking of bread in Western countries, especially here in Italy, where I live, we always imagine something savory and usually quite ‘plain.’

Desserts, here, are also sold in bakeries, but we never refer to them as bread; they are typically called leavened products.

In South Korea, though, the range is much broader when referring to bread, so here is an essential list for everyone visiting Korea for loaves of bread you should try!

Gonggal-Ppang is a bread that originated from Chinese immigrants in South Korea and is quite far from the standard idea of bread you might have.

It is, in fact, hollow inside, and it has a crunchy, almost cookie-like texture, which is probably the reason behind its name that, in Korean, literally means Fake bread.

The inside is coated in sweet melted syrup, so this one is for those with a sweet tooth like me!

You can usually find this bread in Korea inside Chinese bakeries or Chinese restaurants.

The ingredients are pretty simple, but trying to cook it is not as straightforward because of its complex shape, so if you are not a good cook, let’s eat it in South Korea!

If you haven’t tried Gyeran-ppang yet, most of you will imagine it as a savory snack, but, surprise, the taste is more like the perfect mix of savory and sweet.

This bread has a fluffy, almost cloudy-like texture, and besides the egg as a topping, it can also have ham, cheese, bacon, and much more.

It is very popular among breads in Korea, where you can easily find it in any food stall around the country, but it is slowly becoming famous everywhere.

One of the must-eat breads in Korea!

Soboro-ppang, also known as Gombo-ppang, is one of the most popular breads in Korea due to its soft and crunchy texture.

This sweet bread has a super soft inside covered with a peanut streusel which gives it a crunchy crust. Peanut butter is usually used both for the crust and as a filling.

This bread has a long history since it came to Korea from Japan, which was, in turn, first exposed to it thanks to Portuguese traders and missionaries in the 16th century.

A must-eat bread for those who like peanut buttery sweets!

Who hasn’t seen one of these Fish-shaped bread while watching a K-Drama? Reply 1988, Uncanny Counters and many more series have at least a scene where its protagonists buy a bag of this delicious bread and eat it while still warm with the most satisfied face ever.

This uniquely shaped bread is crispy on the outside, but on the inside is hot and softened by the red bean filling.

Surely among the breads in Korea that you cannot miss!

This bread originated in Japan but slowly spread across all of Asia and is now relatively easy to find even in Europe.

It is a sweet melon-shaped bread with a sweeter crunchy crust and a fluffy and soft consistency.

Despite the name, and the shape, this bread, at least for its original recipe, doesn’t taste like melon, but it has more of a generically sweet bread taste.

Surely another must-eat among the breads in Korea!

Cream Cheese Garlic Bread is widespread in many countries. Still, the Korean one has a unique crispy, soft, and chewy texture united with the perfect sweet and savory buttery and garlicky taste.

It differs from Western renditions of this bread due to its filling made of sweetened cream cheese and garlic butter custard.

You can find this delicacy all around the country in food stalls, and it will conquer your heart! A must-try!

This particular bread is typical of Hwangnam Dong in Gyeongju and was created in 1938 by Choi Yeong-Hwa.

The filling is quite traditional, as Bungeo-plant is made of red bean paste, while the comb pattern is famously inspired by the aesthetics of the Silla period.

A great snack among traditional breads in Korea to try out! It differs from Cream Cheese Garlic, which tastes less authentic.