If there’s one thing to do first on a Gangneung trip, it’s eat your way through Gangneung Central Market (강릉중앙시장). It’s an easy walk from the station area and a perfect stop at any time of day — just graze straight from the stalls. So here’s what to eat at Gangneung Central Market if you asked a local: three long-standing classics, and two potato treats that are catching on fast.
Planning the wider day? Here’s my full (Gangneung day trip guide) — the market is the first stop on it.
The classics (always worth it)
Sweet-and-sour fried chicken — Beni Dakgangjeong
The market’s most famous bite. Dakgangjeong is bite-sized fried chicken tossed in a sticky, sweet-and-spicy glaze — crunchy on the outside, chewy-sweet all over, and very hard to stop eating. Beni (베니) is the market’s original dakgangjeong shop, so it’s the one to look for. Grab a small box to share as you wander (Google Maps).
Fish-cake croquette — Eomuk Croquette
Eomuk (fish cake) is a Korean staple, and this shop turns it into a croquette — breaded and deep-fried so it’s crisp outside and soft within. It comes in five flavors: cheese, spicy green chili, sweet potato, kimchi, and sweet red bean. The cheese and the spicy chili are the ones travelers rave about — savory and spicy in one bite. You can order it to go, so it’s an easy snack to eat while you browse (Google Maps).
Stuffed squid — Ojingeo-sundae
Ojingeo-sundae is a whole squid stuffed with a mix of glass noodles, vegetables, and seasonings, then sliced into rounds like a sausage and grilled. The version to look for at Gangneung market is nurungji ojingeo-sundae — coated in nurungji (crispy scorched rice) before grilling, so you get a crunchy, toasty shell around the chewy squid. It’s usually served with a spicy-mayo dipping sauce that pulls the whole thing together. Plenty of stalls sell it, so just pick whichever looks freshest and busiest.
The new favorites (catching on fast)
Gangneung Gil-gamja — fried potato
Gangwon Province is potato country, and gil-gamja (“street potato”) shows off why. It’s made from potato only — no flour — boiled down and worked into a chewy dough, then fried so it’s crisp outside and satisfyingly chewy inside, a bit like a cross between a potato pancake and ongsimi (potato dumplings). It’s served hot with your choice of sauce — options run from fire-chicken (buldak) and basil to ketchup, sweet-and-spicy chicken, garlic soy, and tteokbokki sauce. Nutty, crunchy, and a little addictive. It’s popular enough now that there can be a queue, and branches are even starting to pop up in Seoul — but eating it fresh at the market it came from still beats all (Google Maps).
Potato Bungeoppang — Odd Bungeo
Bungeoppang is Korea’s beloved fish-shaped pastry, usually filled with sweet red bean. Odd Bungeo (오드붕어) puts a local spin on it with a potato-based dough — and this is the real insider pick of the market. It’s so new that even locals are only just starting to seek it out, so you’d be getting there ahead of the crowd. The favorites lean savory: gooey cheese and a spicy-cheese version, plus sweeter options like kaya butter and the classic red bean. It pairs perfectly with an iced latte or Americano as you keep exploring (Google Maps).
Practical notes
- Cards are accepted at most stalls, though it never hurts to carry a little cash.
- Location: Gangneung Central Market, an easy walk from Gangneung Station or a short taxi (Google Maps).
- When: Go hungry, and earlier in the day for the freshest stalls — and to catch the newer treats before they sell out.
Verdict
Gangneung Central Market is the tastiest possible start to a day on the east coast — the fried chicken and stuffed squid are classics for a reason, and the potato snacks are the fun, of-the-moment additions worth seeking out. Graze your way through, then head for the coast. Here’s how the rest of the day comes together: my (local’s guide to a Gangneung day trip from Seoul).
