Food Market Tour @ Dongmun Market, Cheju, Jeju-Do

Uncertain on where to eat when you are in a foreign place? Why not try a food crawl in a local market? That was what I did some time back in Jeju and is my modus operandi in a place I visit. Markets are some of my favourite places to visit overseas as it will give you an overall idea on what the locals have and what they like. And it gives you a wide variety of things to sample.

The front entrance

Dongmun Market is one such market. Although some write ups online do mention that it is getting a bit more touristy, which I agree, it was still a fun place to be and you can sample many food items in a slightly cheaper price range. And that was where I had my breakfast. 

Sweets galore!

One such food items are the rice cakes or "tteok" (떡) and I had my first bite of this at Stall 8 of the market. Unlike the crispy chips you might get in your organic store, this is literally a cake. The best way to describe it is their rendition of mochi for the Japanese, there have a variety of types available. And like the Japanese, there are savoury and sweet ones. They even written もち on their signage, which means well, mochi in Japanese. 

Hot and steamy. One giant tray is then divided into 8 blocks, which are to be sold. 

Some of the cakes just came right out of the steamer and steam was still billowing from it. Fresh and hot, an adzuki tteok was ₩ 10,000 a block. The texture is very unique and it is not something easy to describe. However, if I were to describe it, it will be dense but moist and it feels very similar to idli in Indian cuisine. But being sweet, it will not taste like idli. 

Check out the beans inside. 

The adzuki and mung beans riddled within  gives it a different edge in texture and flavour. It was not too sweet and was surprisingly filling. Another item we got was gyeondan, which is Korea's answer to mochi balls. In fact, they are mochi balls. And not surprisingly they taste like mochi too. 

Tiny flavourful morsels. 

The fillings for all of them are the same, which is mung bean paste. What sets them apart is that they got had some flavourful coatings, ranging from the usual bean powder and sesame seeds to the more unique plum powder. My personal favourite among the five we had was the red one which has the plum powder, which was zesty and different. The rest are good as well but they were of a familiar flavour and probably something you can already get in Japan or China. That tray was ₩7000. 

Front of Stall 8

After some sweet stuff to start of my breakfast trail, some savoury morsels are in order. A stall not too far from Stall 8, Stall 4, sells a wide variety of food items on a stick and hot dishes. There were things being steamed, stuff being fried, food on skewers. It really looks like a food bar. 

The front of Stall 4. You just get hungry by looking at such an array of food. 

The fish cake skewer was the next in line. It was surprisingly tasty and very different than what I had imagined it to be. It was flavoured very well with chillies and herbs on the inside. The texture was springy and yet very easy to chew. Topping it off with some honey mustard, and what you end up is a very satisfying snack. 

So much better than it looks

Being almost the size of my forearm, it can easily be a meal for a small eater. It looks so unassuming, but definitely do not judge this book by its cover. That stick was a real bargain and it stands at ₩2000 a pop. Cheapest thing so far. 

And no breakfast is complete with some orange juice right?  The stall just opposite Stall 4 is a juice stand and sells the famous Jeju orange juice. Oranges are aplenty here and a symbol of pride of the island. The juice is miles ahead that anything you can find in a packet and better that the usual citrus liquid you get in some high end restaurants. Maybe its the volcanic soil that it was planted on? Maybe its the weather? O I was just thirsty? Who knows? But it was the best juice I had in a very long while. One bottle was ₩3,500. 

It comes in a bottle shaped like the Jeju statue. 

The market opens around 8 am but most of the food shops really kick into gear after 9. So an early visit, like mine is not really advisable if you want to feel the full gamut of experiences. However, the fresh food stalls are buzzing with activity during that time, maybe to cater to the locals who need to buy their dinner from there. It was a real delight to the senses. 

Chilli powders in different types

The Koreans' love for seasoning is very evident in this place as you can see a large variety of grounded spices and flavoured powders being sold almost everywhere. Of course, being the civilisation that created kimchi, their love for pickled foodstuff cannot be underestimated. Also, having a banchan culture when eating out, the Koreans really do know how to play the side dishes game at another level.

Condiments galore!

Seafood is also something really note worthy and abundant. Almost every fishmonger seems to be selling oysters and abalone, which are premium ingredients in many parts of the world. Being an island helps the seafood sold to be vibrant and fresh. Some items are so fresh, that they would probably still be alive if not for your purchase. And some are so peculiar, they look like they come out from a B grade space horror flick, like the Gaebul spoon worm. 

According to Wikipedia, it is also called the penis fish. No special prizes in guessing why. 

I enjoyed the sights and sounds of the market, and of course, the nibbles in between. Do drop by for a visit if you have the chance. Do not let the spoon worm deter you though. And if you do want to drop by, the address is as follows:

16 Dongmun-ro, Ildo 1(il)-dong, Cheju, Jeju-do, South Korea