What is in season in Busan. and what to order when the market changes.
Spring
- Gijang anchovy: April's Daebyeon Port catch is eaten as myeolchi hoe and grilled whole during the Gijang Anchovy Festival.
- Dodari (spring flounder): Spring flatfish firms up for hoe plates across Jagalchi and Millak Raw Fish Town.
- Jukkumi (webfoot octopus): Spring jukkumi arrives blanched or in fiery stir-fries at market kitchens.
Summer
- Milmyeon: The icy wheat noodle peaks in July and August; Halmae Gaya and Choryang queues run longest in beach season.
- Kongguksu: Cold soybean noodles appear as summer specials at kalguksu houses like 1969 Buwondong Kalguksu.
- Patbingsu: Old-style red bean shaved ice draws queues at Hongokdang near Gwangalli.
Autumn
- Jeoneo (gizzard shad): The autumn festival fish, sliced or grilled, fills Jagalchi in September and October around festival season.
- Daehap and shellfish grills: Cooler nights push the pojangmacha shellfish stalls at Mipo in Haeundae into their best form.
- Gomjangeo: Grilled hagfish over charcoal is an autumn-night staple in Haeundae Traditional Market.
Winter
- Daege and red snow crab: Winter crab tanks fill at Gijang and Millak; December to February is the sweet-leg season.
- Bokguk: Pufferfish soup, the port's morning-after cure, simmers in specialist kitchens through the cold months.
- Guljeon and oysters: South-coast oysters from Tongyeong waters land in pancakes, soups and steamers city-wide.