Tourists eager to try bungeo-ppang, one of Korea’s most popular winter street-food snacks (Photo courtesy of Getty Images Korea)

Bungeo-ppang, the iconic red bean-filled, fish-shaped pastry, has become synonymous with winter in Korea. This beloved street food, with its crispy exterior and soft, warm interior, evokes nostalgia and comfort for many Koreans. As the cold winds of winter blow, the aroma of freshly baked bungeo-ppang wafts through the streets, drawing people to small stands and food trucks.

The origins of bungeo-ppang can be traced to the early 1930s when bakers first started making chrysanthemum-shaped snacks with flour paste batter. The pastry’s widespread popularity emerged after the Korean War, coinciding with flour aid distributions that made the ingredient more accessible to the general public. 

During the rapid industrialization of the 1960s and 1970s, factory workers came to rely on bungeo-ppang as quick and affordable nourishment. Initially made with a thin, watery batter similar to a flour paste, the snack evolved as it gained popularity and nationwide appeal. 

Bungeo-ppang with original red bean paste and custard cream fillings (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Even with sentimental attachments to bungeo-ppang’s simplicity staying strong, custard cream began to make serious inroads as a preferred filling. Debates about the ideal taste and texture intensified, leading to the classic rivalry between “patbung-pa” (fans of red bean paste filling) and “chouxbung-pa” (fans of custard cream filling). Both flavors have became so ubiquitous that some Korea-based airlines added them to in-flight service. Eastar Jet offers bite-size bungeo-ppang filled with either red bean paste or cream.

Unique bungeo-ppang varieties have emerged with cheese, pizza and kimchi fillings. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

The popularity of bungeo-ppang has given rise to the concept of “bungsegwon,” a play on the term “yeoksegwon” (vibrant station-adjacent area). Bungsegwon neighborhoods boast easy access to bungeo-ppang vendors. The fervor for this winter treat has prompted the creation of “bungeo-ppang maps” on local community platforms like Karrot. These maps, crowdsourced by enthusiastic locals, help people find the nearest vendor in their area. Almost as soon as it was launched, the app became a huge hit, with users sharing real-time feedback and short-form videos of bungeo-ppang shops.

Bungeo-ppang map launched on Karrot, a secondhand trading platform (Screenshot courtesy of Hong Communications)

As inflation has impacted the price and availability of bungeo-ppang via street vendors, the treat has found new outlets in convenience stores, cafes and even the frozen food section of supermarkets. Also, to appeal to changing consumer tastes and justify the rising prices, vendors have begun offering larger sizes and experimenting with various fillings such as chocolate, cheese and new varieties of cream.

Mass-produced varieties make it easy to enjoy bungeo-ppang anytime at home. (Photos courtesy of Ottogi, CJ)