In the sweltering heat, it’s easy to lose your appetite. Why not take a trip to Gangneung to beat the heat with some of the best seasonal summer foods? From the tangy, sweet, and spicy mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) to the light and refreshing makguksu (buckwheat noodles), and the soft and sweet patbingsu (shaved ice with red bean topping), Gangneung offers summer delicacies that will cool you to the bone the moment you take a bite.
Tangy and Sweet Mulhoe
In Sacheon, often referred to as the “Mulhoe Village,” the coast is lined with numerous restaurants serving this delicious dish. You can’t go wrong with any choice, as every place ensures an above-average taste. Most of these establishments have their own aquariums to keep the fish, the main ingredient of mulhoe, fresh and lively. Depending on the catch of the day, ingredients like squid, plaice, flatfish, rockfish, and small fish are used to prepare this dish.
Mulhoe is a dish where raw fish is mixed with cold soup. It combines seasonal seafood, vegetables, and a tangy soup. Freshly caught chewy slices of fish or squid mixed with crunchy vegetables and a cold, tangy, and spicy soup instantly cool your body and mind, providing a refreshing relief from the heat.
When you order mulhoe, it comes with side dishes such as kimchi, salad, and salted seafood. A standout feature is the warm rockfish and seaweed soup that accompanies the cold mulhoe. Alternating between the chilled mulhoe and the warm seaweed soup creates a delightful and balanced dining experience.
Cool Off with Makguksu
Makguksu is a famous dish from Gangwon-do, consisting of buckwheat noodles served in cold radish water kimchi or a light meat broth. The chewy noodles and icy broth provide an instant refreshing sensation. Buckwheat has cooling properties, making makguksu an excellent choice for relieving the summer heat.
Both mul makguksu, served in cold broth, and bibim makguksu, mixed with a spicy sauce, are excellent for stimulating your summer appetite. For a complete meal, pair your makguksu with some delectable side dishes such as boiled pork slices and buckwheat pancakes. Buckwheat pancakes, made with a batter of buckwheat flour and kimchi, is thin, chewy, and savory, complementing the makguksu perfectly.
Sweet and Refreshing Patbingsu
Even when the heat saps your appetite, patbingsu is always an exception. Along the beaches of Gangneung, many cafés offer this refreshing shaved ice dessert as a special summer treat. While it may not be a meal, a generous bowl of patbingsu is enough to make you forget the scorching heat as if you’ve stepped into a refrigerator. Enjoying a bowl of patbingsu in a cool café while gazing at the sea feels like heaven.
This delightful dessert features finely shaved milk ice that melts softly in your mouth like snowflakes. It’s topped with sweet red beans, roasted soybean powder, condensed milk, or ice cream, making it deliciously sweet. Patbingsu often includes chewy, sweet rice cake as a standard topping. For a fruity twist, you can add various fresh fruits, transforming it into fruit bingsu. A beautifully decorated patbingsu also makes for a perfect photo to share on social media.
Sacheon Mulhoe Village : 86-133 Sacheonjin-ri, Sacheon-myeon, Gangneung-si