Bindaetteok are thick savoury pancakes made from ground mung beans, pan-fried until crisp on the outside. The definitive version is at Gwangjang Market.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Bindaetteok has been documented in Korean cuisine since the Joseon dynasty, when it was street food sold at the Gwangjang market area in Seoul. The name means pancake for the poor, as mung beans were an inexpensive ingredient. The Gwangjang Market tradition of cooking bindaetteok on cast-iron griddles in the central food hall has been continuous since the market opened in 1905. The grinding of the mung beans to a thick batter, the addition of pork and kimchi, and the frying in a generous amount of oil until the exterior crisps while the centre remains soft remains unchanged from the Joseon preparation.
Common allergens: Sesame, Pork (traditional version)
Tip from the editors. The batter should be chunky, not smooth. Over-blending removes the texture that makes bindaetteok distinctive. Use generous oil: the pancake should be pan-frying, not dry-cooked.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
The bindaetteok stalls in Gwangjang Market are Seoul's most legitimate street food: mung-bean pancakes fried on cast-iron griddles alongside mayak gimbap.
Try: Bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) and mayak gimbap
More cities are in research. Want bindaetteok (mung bean pancake) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.