Traditional snack shop in Sokcho: yuzu oranda at Sokcho Yetgokgan

Traditional snack shop in Sokcho Jungang Market

When you go to Sokcho, Jungang Market is basically a must, right? haha There is so much to eat and see, so whenever I go to a market, I usually take a lap first and decide what to eat. This time, though, one spot caught my eye for snacks: Sokcho Yetgokgan (속초옛곳간)!

I found it while looking up food at Sokcho Jungang Market, and they sell old-fashioned Korean snacks including oranda, gangjeong, handmade glutinous-rice yuga, and baked kabocha squash chips.

Location and hours

📍104, 38 Jungangsijang-ro 6-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea ⏰Daily 9:00–20:00

Snack selection inside

This shop sells all kinds of snacks, from old-fashioned cookies to oranda, gangjeong, handmade glutinous-rice yuga, and baked kabocha squash chips. I heard the oranda was especially famous, so I immediately had a look.

Even though I visited in the morning, there were already quite a few people there. I wondered if it was more popular than I expected, so naturally I started browsing too, haha. It seemed like lots of people were looking for snacks from Sokcho Jungang Market that would be easy to pack and take away.

What was the oranda texture like?

The thing I was most curious about at Sokcho Yetgokgan was the oranda!

Menu and prices

I ordered two oranda! Honestly, when I think of oranda, I picture something hard, with jocheong rice syrup stuck on super sticky. So at first I assumed it would just be an old-fashioned snack—but to give away the ending, I was completely wrong, haha. It was totally different from the oranda I had imagined.

The jocheong rice syrup in this oranda was soft, so it was neither hard nor overly sticky. The texture was much softer than I expected.

It also had a gentle yuzu scent, and I really loved that. A little yuzu fragrance on top of oranda's usual sweetness made it refreshing rather than rich or too sweet. I tried it again the next day, and it still was not hard and tasted great.

They were great snacks to pull out one at a time when I got peckish, so they were nice to take home too. I think they would go especially well with tea. If you are looking for snacks or sweet treats at Sokcho Jungang Market, these old-fashioned Korean snacks are worth a look.

The owner also said they make them directly with jocheong rice syrup—not corn syrup or sugar, but 100% handmade jocheong—which made me even more curious about the flavor. For snacks like oranda, where the jocheong is so important, the texture can vary a lot depending on how it is made.

If, like me, you thought oranda was always hard and stuck to your teeth, this will definitely change your mind—highly recommended!

Other snacks to choose with oranda

If you are looking for snacks or sweet treats at Sokcho Jungang Market, have a look at these old-fashioned Korean snacks too! Along with oranda, Sokcho Yetgokgan also sells handmade glutinous-rice yuga, which the owner said is another popular item.

If you like traditional-style snacks, yuga or gangjeong would be nice choices too! The baked kabocha squash chips are said to be popular as well. They seem easy to snack on like chips, making them good for children or for eating at home.

Packaged snacks for gifts after a Sokcho trip

When it feels a little disappointing to end a Sokcho trip with only the food you ate there, packing up traditional snacks like these to take home is a nice idea. They also seem well suited to anyone looking for a Sokcho Jungang Market food gift set.

Giving snacks people can actually eat can be more practical than the usual souvenirs you see at tourist destinations. Sokcho Jungang Market's famous foods such as dakgangjeong and potato pancakes are great too, but I was happy this time to browse and pack up oranda and other old-fashioned snacks at Sokcho Yetgokgan.

They also offer nationwide shipping, so if you could not buy them during your trip, or if you tried them and liked them, ordering by delivery seems like a good option.

Final thoughts

Sokcho Yetgokgan was a find while looking for food at Sokcho Jungang Market! The oranda I tried was not hard or sticky; its soft jocheong texture and subtle yuzu fragrance made it much tastier than I expected.

I packed two oranda and enjoyed them through the next day. With a wide range of old-fashioned snacks such as handmade glutinous-rice yuga, gangjeong, and baked kabocha squash chips, it was a nice place to browse for Sokcho Jungang Market snacks. I recommend it to anyone looking for a food gift set from Sokcho Jungang Market or snacks to take home after a trip!