Sokcho market snack shop with resealable gangjeong packs: Ibuja Mayak

One place you can't skip in Sokcho is the market, right? While wandering Sokcho Central Market looking for a snack and a souvenir to bring home, I stopped by "Ibuja Mayak Gotgan."

Where is Ibuja Mayak Gotgan, and what are its hours?

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan is at 16 Jungang-ro 147beon-gil, 1F Unit 137, Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market, Sokcho, Gangwon, South Korea. It's open daily 08:30–19:30, closed every Wednesday, and offers takeout and reservations.

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan sits toward the inner part of Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market.

Walking down the central alley where the sulbbang (rice cake) shop is, you'll find it about halfway in at Central Alley No. 19 — easier to find than I expected.

How do you park at Sokcho Central Market?

If you use the public parking lot across from Sokcho Central Market, spending over ₩15,000 gets you a 30-minute parking voucher. If you're planning to buy a bunch of things around the market, definitely grab that voucher.

What the Ibuja Mayak Gotgan stall looks like

These healthy-feeling grain snacks are everywhere these days, right?? You often spot grain gangjeong (crunchy rice cracker candy) while browsing traditional markets, but Ibuja Mayak Gotgan's colorful five-color version really caught my eye.

More than anything, it's not the usual sugary snack — it leans into the grains' natural nutty, clean flavor, which felt like a good fit for older adults too, and a nice snack option for kids or a Sokcho travel gift for parents.

Five-color grain gangjeong: 8-piece set for 10,000 won

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan's gangjeong comes in five varieties — brown rice, black rice, buckwheat, white rice, and yellow rice — and the 8-piece set costs ₩10,000. Rather than just one flavor, I bought the 5-color 8-piece set so I could try a bit of everything.

Each color is different, so packed together it looks really pretty too.

• 8-piece gangjeong set: ₩10,000
• 12-piece gangjeong set: ₩15,000

The price isn't a big burden either, so it's great for sharing with family while traveling!

You can taste the gangjeong before you buy

The best part was that tasting was available!

There were bite-sized tasting pieces of gangjeong cut up so you could try them easily. I tried before buying, and the first thing I noticed was definitely that nutty, clean flavor!

Unlike typical gangjeong that hits you with sweetness right away, here the grain's savory flavor comes first, with a subtle sweetness following as you chew. The outside is crispy, and chewing reveals nutty little grain bites — it seemed like it'd pair well with coffee or tea. Especially compared to greasy fried rice crackers, this one's cleaner, so I could keep picking at it without feeling weighed down.

On one side of the shop, staff were continuously packing gangjeong. They said they follow a same-day-made, same-day-sold principle, which seemed great for a snack to buy while traveling.

Bread-tie bags you can reseal: an easy Sokcho souvenir

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan packs the gangjeong in a clear bag and ties it securely shut with a bread tie.

Instead of everything being in one sealed bag, you can take pieces out one at a time and re-tie it, which made it convenient to bring home and eat gradually.

Best of all, with all five colors packed together, it looks colorful and pretty once wrapped. It's nice as a snack for home, but I also thought it'd work well as a light Sokcho travel souvenir for parents, family, or friends.

Tasting all five gangjeong flavors at home

Back home, I tried them one by one, and the nutty flavor really builds the more you eat.

Brown rice has a clean, savory feel; black rice has a crunchy texture with nuttiness,

buckwheat carries a subtle, distinctive savory aroma — if you like this kind of grain snack, you'll love it!

White rice is the cleanest and softest,

and cycling through all five including yellow rice at the end, it was fun to notice each one's slightly different flavor and texture. And best of all, it's not too sweet, which I really liked.

With snacks like this, if they're too sweet I stop after a couple pieces, but since this one centers on the grain's nuttiness, I kept reaching for more alongside a cup of coffee~

🔥 How to make grain gangjeong taste even better

• Microwave for about 20 seconds, then let it cool before eating
• Lightly pan-fry over low heat — the nutty aroma comes out more, with a scorched-rice-like fragrance

The crispy texture also comes back, so personally I enjoyed eating it lightly warmed like this too. They said the gangjeong can get soft depending on weather, humidity, and storage, so after buying, keep it sealed, and warming it slightly before eating is a good idea.

If you're browsing Sokcho Central Market looking for a snack to take home or a gift, check out Ibuja Mayak Gotgan's five-color grain gangjeong — with five grains packed in colorfully, it looks pretty once wrapped too.