Blog:
Korean street food
My reader Ms. Sandy sent me this photo to ask me what it is.When I saw that, it reminded me of my elementary school days. I think some of you may remember this street food, too.I’m quoting Ms. Sandy’s email and my answer here with the photo.
Sandy says:
“Can you help me with the identity of this Korean snack?
I know it’s a snail, but I don’t know what kind or its Korean name.
I remember having it as a child in Korea (my all time favorite snack…well, tied with Bokie, Duk Bok Kie, raw sea cucumber, and some kind of honey/syrupy snack that you squeezed out of a toy syringe as part of a doctor themed candy package.
But back to the snails…when I was a girl, they use to sell them in newspaper cones and were usually seen on the same cart as bun da ge. The more civilized Koreans (usually adults) would use a toothpick to gently tease out the meat, but my friends and I would usually just bite the tip off the sharp, spiral end; turn it around; and suck the meat out through the front opening.
I browsed the internet trying to find a description, but was only successful in finding this picture (everything else was describing much bigger moonsnails or whelks). Any help is much appreciated.
I say:
“I can’t help laughing while reading your message. Your explanation is very exact and descriptive. Of course I know what it is!
It’s cold “Go dong”in korean. Would you mind if I used your picture and your description on my blog? Some people may be very interested in looking at the photo. You said, “honey/syrupy snack that you squeezed out of a toy syringe as part of a doctor themed candy package” haha! I remember it. It’s kind of street junk food.
Thank you for the photo and entertaining description. : ) “
Are there two different ways of preparing go dong in this photo? Also, they’re so small, how do people harvest so many of them?
June 25th, 2008 at 5:14 pmanne.h,
Go dong is on the left. bundaegi(silkworms) is on the right.
I don’t know how they harvest them such a huge amount of “go dong”
June 25th, 2008 at 9:16 pmMy aunt used to gather go dong on rocks at the beach near her house.
It was a different kind of go dong from the ones in this photo.
Hello Maangchi,
Is watercress avaliable in Korea? Do koreans eat watercress?
June 26th, 2008 at 11:35 amAgasuka,
June 26th, 2008 at 2:57 pmI don’t remember seeing watercress in Korea when I was there.
hello maangchi! i have been following your videos on youtube and they’re all fantastic xDD
July 11th, 2008 at 8:05 amin regards to this post, i’m wondering how to make 뽑기 (bokie??) ?? i know it’s easy and basically consists of sugar, but what else and what kind of sugar should i use???
i would really like to give it a go ;-)
thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi, may,
July 11th, 2008 at 8:14 amI can not read the food you mention in your comment. Do you mean “dduk bok kie”? If so, I already posted in this blog with written recipe. Check it out.