Sokcho bakery: ₩5,000 sulppang in freezer portions, Sokcho Sulppang

How to store sulppang from a Sokcho Jungang Market favorite in Gangwon

Today's Sokcho Jungang Market food pick is sulppang (steamed makgeolli rice bread)! Even people who say they don't like sulppang, just try a bite...

Whenever I come back from a Sokcho trip, I always bring home a bag of dakgangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken) and... Sokcho sulppang. The gentle aroma and fluffy texture make it seriously addictive once you start, haha. The loaf is bigger than you'd expect, so there's often leftover. Today I'll share how to store Sokcho sulppang and how to enjoy it again.

Sokcho Sulppang at Jungang Market: wait time and price

At Sokcho Sulppang (속초술빵) in Sokcho Jungang Market, the wait isn't long, so you can buy almost right away, and one face-sized loaf is ₩5,000. Is it aiming at those famous shops with long lines? Haha. But the taste here is the real deal... the sulppang at Jungang Market is genuinely delicious!

As a Sokcho Jungang Market food pick, Sokcho Sulppang has no long wait, so you can buy almost right away.

In person it looks even bigger. What is it about this thing..? It's really good. At the shop, steam rises from a giant steamer and that signature sulppang scent drifts out, a warm, nutty aroma spreading around!!

It's huge and looks so tempting, and the price is a total bargain.. You're not buying it..? It's the size of an adult's face and costs ₩5,000, haha.

Can you try Sokcho Sulppang before buying?

Yes. At Sokcho Sulppang you can taste sulppang kept in a small electric steamer before you buy. The charm of a traditional market is the generous hospitality.

They keep opening the steamer and telling you to try more, haha. The warm, fluffy bread tears apart easily, with a gentle sweetness and nutty aroma that people of all ages will like.

Does Sokcho Sulppang smell strongly of makgeolli?

Not really. There's no strong fermented or makgeolli (Korean rice wine) smell. I'm not a fan of sulppang with a heavy boozy fermented smell, but this Jungang Market spot is just a fluffy texture and a mildly sweet bread?! Clean and plain, and I loved it.

The portion and texture are easy on you, so it's very filling as a breakfast or meal replacement snack. It's good hot, and even when I couldn't be bothered to warm it up and ate it cold, it was still chewy and totally delicious.

It's been featured on several TV shows and ships nationwide by courier, so you should know how to store Sokcho sulppang, right?

How should you store Sokcho sulppang for the best taste?

The tastiest way is to tear into it right on the spot as soon as you buy it (eating on the street is highly recommended). Many of you will bring sulppang home from a Sokcho trip, so I put this together for anyone confused about storage. Especially in chilly weather, tearing off warm sulppang on the street... so yummy, honestly the best, haha. But?! Most of the time we eat a meal first and then buy sulppang as takeaway, right? Haha.

Freezing Sokcho sulppang: cut into single portions

If you're taking it home to eat over a longer time, set aside what you'll eat right away and freeze the rest in its plastic wrap. Since you may worry about freezer smells and it's too big to finish at once, cut it into single portions (about the size of a baekseolgi, a white steamed rice cake), wrap each piece in plastic wrap again, and put them in a zip bag or container to freeze, and you can enjoy it for a long time. Cut pieces are sooo much easier to eat and reheat later.

How to reheat frozen Sokcho sulppang so it stays moist

Let the frozen sulppang thaw naturally first, then microwave it for about 2 minutes 30 seconds.

• Thaw naturally first (important!!!)
• Microwave for about 2 minutes 30 seconds
• I poke two small holes in the plastic wrap and microwave it like that
• It's very hot, so let the steam escape before eating. Unless you want to burn the roof of your mouth...

After getting back to Seoul I also microwaved mine and cut it with a bread knife, and it was soft and tasty, as if freshly steamed. If you worry about the surface drying out, you can sprinkle a little water or microwave it with the wrap on, like I do. The loaf is thick and the middle may not heat through, so I recommend cutting it into suitable pieces before heating.

How long can you keep Sokcho sulppang?

In the fridge, eat it within 3 days of purchase; to keep it longer, freezing is the safest.

• Refrigerated: finish it within 3 days of purchase
• Frozen: the safest for long-term storage
• Room temperature (26°C): big no. Especially in summer :( If you absolutely must, eat it within a day

Leaving it at room temperature for long is not recommended. (Of course, a car ride was totally fine even without a cooler bag!) If you can't finish it the same day, refrigerate; if you want to keep it a few more days, freeze! Just remember that.