Sweet and Nutty Korean Street Food

Korean street food Hoddeok/Hotteok is a sweet, sugary, and nut-filled pancake.

Hoddeok is a common sight at street food markets throughout Korea, particularly in the colder months. This beloved delicacy offers a sense of warmth and comfort to its consumers.

Legend has it that hotteok, a Korean pancake, first emerged in 1882. During this period, Chinese merchants and soldiers were rumored to have journeyed to Korea to aid in their battle against Japan. As they roamed the streets, these merchants supposedly sold a different type of pancake, called hotteok. Unlike traditional Chinese pancakes with savory fillings like chives, the Korean version was known for its sweet sugar filling and quickly gained widespread fame.

Over the course of almost one hundred years, it has become a beloved classic dish. However, in modern times, there have been some new takes on hotteok. For instance, ssiat hotteok, which is filled with pumpkin and sunflower seeds or cream cheese filling are also quite popular choices!

Every time I visited a market area while stationed in Korea, I would find street carts serving hoddeok and simply enjoy the hot, sweet, dripping awesome goodness of these Korean pancakes.

Servings: 6
Recipe Type: Appetizer, Korean, Snack, Street Food

Ingredients:

Dough
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
cooking oil as needed

Filling
1 1/2 tablespoon crushed walnut, pecan, peanut, or pine nuts
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
cinnamon to taste

Directions

Mix the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a small bowl.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Mix the all purpose and sweet rice flours together, then sieve into a large bowl.
Add salt, milk, and yeast water and mix well.
Cover with a warm damp towel and let stand in a warm place for three hours.

Mix all filling ingredients in a small bowl.
Separate the dough into six equal portions.
Flatten the dough to cover the palm of your hand.
Place one slightly rounded tablespoon of filling in the center and seal the dough around the filling.
Repeat with each portion.

Cooking

Heat a large pan over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium low and add one tablespoon oil.
Place two dough portions into the hot pan, turning when bottom is slightly browned.
Press (flatten) with an oiled spatula and cook until bottom is golden brown, then turn.
Cook until golden brown.
Repeat for all dough portions.
Serve warm.

Optional: You can also steam the buns instead of pan frying them. Place each bun on a piece of parchment paper and steam for about 15 minutes until cooked through.

Get inventive with this dish, try hotteok with cheese and chilies, or add your favorite meat or vegetable fillings. Enjoy!