Photos: Gil-dong Market (길동시장)
Posted September 10, 2011 by Annie Namba
A few days ahead of 추석 (Chuseok), we went to visit my mom's uncle's house. As it turns out, he lives literally right next to a traditional market, which operates daily, offering fruits, vegetables, and even fresh fish and meat.
We were very excited to take a look since it was our first-ever experience of an old-style Korean market run for locals (as opposed to markets that seem to operate mainly for tourists these days, like Namdaemun).
The sellers provide amazing quality produce for low prices, and we bought excitedly bought up a good amount of fruit and vegetables.
Best of all, no one seemed to mind when I was taking pictures. One woman even posed for the camera! So, without any more words getting in the way (aside from the directions at the end), enjoy the photos:
One of the entrances to the market
The market was filled with many people preparing for the upcoming holiday.
These crabs were alive and moving around in the sawdust and ice. People picked them up with tongs.
Several shops were selling fresh fish. These are some of Korea's favorites, including 고등어 (mackerel), 굴비 (yellow corvina) and 갈치 (hairtail/belt fish).
More fish selections
Vegetables are incredibly cheap here: I got 4 eggplant for 1000원 and 4 cucumbers for 1000원.
These berries are called 오미자 (omija, five flavor berries). Normally they are sold dried in supermarkets, but here they are fresh! You can make 오미자차 (omija tea) with them.
Anchovies for soup stock, a staple of Korean food
This butcher shop is having a sale, it must be a good one
Colorful 송편 (songpyeon), a 추석 (Chuseok) food. They are fun to eat because I have to guess the filling.
Another important 추석 (Chuseok) food, these ladies are packaging chestnuts as they come out of the chestnut peeling machine.
My mom purchased 4kg of 토란 (toran) for my favorite soup, which she makes for 추석.
We bought some peaches here, "5000원 per pile." Very affordable!
배추 (Korean cabbage, aka Napa cabbage), also sold by the pile (10000원)
Local eggs, from 4500원 for 30
Dried red peppers for the upcoming kimchi-making season
These look suspiciously like malasadas (Portuguese doughnut) and malasada sandwiches, don't they?
Premade 김치 (kimchi) and 반찬 (banchan, side dishes)
Getting there: Take line 5 to 길동역. Go out exit #3, turn left at the first traffic light. Walk ~5 blocks then turn left at post office, then walk about 1 block. The market runs along this one street for several blocks (about the entire length of Gil-dong).
