Sokcho market snack shop: gangjeong to share at work, Ibuja Mayak

No trip to Sokcho is complete without Sokcho Central Market! While wandering around the market I stopped by Ibuja Mayak Gotgan, a Sokcho Central Market favorite!!!! If you love sweet gangjeong (grain crisp), this is such a good snack pick.

What kind of shop is Ibuja Mayak Gotgan in Sokcho Central Market?

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan is a handmade grain gangjeong shop at stall 137, 1st floor of Sokcho Tourist & Fisheries Market. Most Sokcho Central Market favorites are things like fried chicken gangjeong or squid sundae (stuffed squid), so a shop specializing in handmade grain gangjeong felt refreshingly different! With brown rice, buckwheat, white rice, black rice, and glutinous millet, there was a nice variety to look through one by one 🫶

Grain gangjeong varieties and prices at Ibuja Mayak Gotgan

There were 5 flavors total — brown rice, buckwheat, white rice, black rice, and glutinous millet — and the grain gangjeong came as an 8-piece set for ₩10,000 or a 12-piece set for ₩15,000. Knowing it's made and sold the same day made me trust it even more! These handmade crisps use selected grains bound with jocheong (rice syrup), so they're great to sample as a Sokcho Central Market snack, and they also make a nice packaged gift.

If it goes a bit soft after some time, warming it briefly in the microwave or on a pan brings the crunch right back — good to know!

Taste all five grains before you choose

At the Ibuja Mayak Gotgan counter, freshly made grain gangjeong was laid out by type. Seeing them unwrapped like this, rather than just packaged, made it easy to check the size and look of each one at a glance! Each piece was bigger than expected and packed generously with grains. Next to them were bite-sized pieces for tasting, so I could try before buying, which I really liked.

Seeing them up close, each type had a different grain color and shape, which made browsing fun too. There were tasting pieces right in front, so I tried one of each — they were much less sweet and nuttier than I expected, so I kept reaching for more haha. Best of all, instead of the tooth-achingly hard old-school gangjeong texture, this one was crisp yet light to chew, which I really liked! You can compare flavors and pick what suits your taste, so it's a good stop for anyone browsing Sokcho Central Market favorites looking for a snack or a gift.

Order your own mix and it is packed on the spot

Once I ordered, they packed it right away in whatever combination I wanted. Behind the counter, packaged gangjeong was stacked up high, and I liked that everything was wrapped neatly and easy to carry around the market. You can mix and match brown rice, buckwheat, black rice, white rice, and glutinous millet to taste, which made for a nice variety. It was also perfect to bring home as a family snack or souvenir gift from the Sokcho trip.

All packed up! The clear bag made it easy to see what was inside at a glance, and the handle made it easy to carry around. Wandering Sokcho Central Market, you end up picking up all kinds of things, but this wasn't heavy at all, so it was easy to carry along on the trip. I packed a good mix of each type, so there was fun in trying them one by one back home too.

Opening the Sokcho grain gangjeong box back home

Back home, opening the bag revealed each type neatly stacked, and it looked pretty generous just to look at. Each piece was individually wrapped, so it was easy to take out just as much as I wanted to eat, and easy to store the rest too. Brown rice, buckwheat, white rice, black rice, and glutinous millet each had a different color and grain shape, so it was fun comparing what each one might taste like. Snacks packed from a Sokcho Central Market favorite were great to keep pulling out one at a time even after the trip was over.

Shared at work, still crisp the next day

One bag went to the office to share with everyone 🫶 An instant hit!! It's always nice to eat something like this while working — perfect for a sugar boost when your energy's flagging haha.

I tried it again the next day, and it wasn't soggy at all — still crisp. So I didn't even bother warming it up in the microwave!

The black rice one especially had whole grains visible throughout, and the more I chewed, the nuttier it tasted, with a sweetness that wasn't overdone, so it was easy to eat without feeling heavy. It was also bigger than expected, so even one piece was pretty filling. If you're looking for a snack or a food gift for family while traveling in Sokcho, I'd recommend trying the handmade grain gangjeong at Sokcho Central Market favorite Ibuja Mayak Gotgan!