Hearty Gangwon New Year Table: Potatoes, Dried Greens and Coastal Delights
Creatrip Team
6 months ago
As Lunar New Year approaches, Gangwon Province’s simple but abundant holiday foods are highlighted. Long-valued staples include soft dried radish greens (siraegi) simmered in savory broths to soothe the stomach, and versatile potatoes—used in rice, stews, pancakes and rice cakes—once so vital they were jokingly treated like currency. Traditional rice cakes (tteok) such as surichwi-tteok and potato-tteok remain central to celebrations. Winter seafood favorites include pollock (myeongtae) in soups and dried pollock (hwangtae) for dishes like grilled hwangtae and hangover soup, and the local “silky” sea squirt (bidanmongge) from the East Sea prized for its unique briny sweetness. The odd-looking but flavorful lumpfish (ttukji or dochi) is a regional winter treasure—especially its roe used in spicy stews. Gangwon food is humble yet rich in flavor and memory; a simple bowl of mandu-guk (dumpling soup) or hearty stews can fill both stomach and heart during the holiday.
