Red crab and seed red bean croquette set to-go, Sokcho: Samsam Goroke

When you go to Sokcho Jungang Market, you always end up eating dakgangjeong (Korean fried chicken bites), sulbbang (steamed rice bread), or squid sundae, right?! I usually browse the same old snacks whenever I visit, but this time, while walking around, a place suddenly caught my eye. It was Samsam Goroke :)

I figured croquettes are pretty much all the same, but looking at the menu, there were way more varieties than I expected. Plus, alongside the regular croquettes, there were ones made with Sokcho-flavored ingredients, so there were too many menu items I was curious about to try just one lol

In the end I picked a bunch of different ones and packed them all up. Here's my story about Samsam Goroke, a solid snack option at Sokcho Jungang Market ~~

Samsam Goroke's location — across from Manseok Dakgangjeong

Samsam Goroke is located in the main alley of Sokcho Jungang Market. It's an area with heavy foot traffic in the market, so it wasn't hard to find at all. It's right across from Manseok Dakgangjeong, so you'll spot it quickly as you're wandering through the market.

There's an orange sign out front that catches your eye from far away. I was planning to just walk past, but seeing the croquettes all lined up in front stopped me in my tracks without even realizing it lol

What's on the menu at Samsam Goroke?

What surprised me the most here was how many croquette varieties there were. Usually when you think of croquettes, you picture potato or vegetable ones, but here even the menu names themselves made me curious.

Here are some of the main varieties they had:

• Sokcho red crab croquette
• Meat-filled jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup) croquette
• Chinese-style gochu japchae (stir-fried peppers and glass noodles) croquette
• Sokcho pollack roe cream croquette
• Sokcho potato croquette
• Seed red bean croquette

There were big menu photos posted in front of the store too, so it was easy to check out what each croquette looked like. And the staff kindly explained what ingredients went into each one.

Listening to the explanations one by one, I was like, how am I supposed to pick just one lol I was curious about the Sokcho red crab, the pollack roe cream, the jjamppong, the red bean... so in the end I decided to try several flavors.

You can buy them individually or as a packaged set

You could buy them individually, or bundle several together as a set. For those visiting for the first time like me who want to try a bunch of flavors, ordering a set seems like a good idea.

I picked several different kinds and packed them up. Each croquette had a different color and looked so appetizing that just opening the box made me happy haha

They packaged everything neatly too, so it was easy to carry around while touring Sokcho. When you're shopping around the market, you end up with a ton of bags, right?

But since the croquettes were packed separately and neatly, they were easy to bring back to my accommodation or take home to eat. If you're looking for a quick snack while traveling in Sokcho, or something to bring home, this is worth keeping in mind.

What the red crab and seed red bean croquettes tasted like

I tried the Samsam Goroke croquettes I'd packed one by one. Since they were freshly made, the outside was nice and crispy. A croquette's crispy crust is really its lifeblood, isn't it lol And since each menu had different fillings, finishing one made me curious about the next flavor.

I also tried the Sokcho red crab croquette, the one I was most curious about. When you split it open, you can see the red crab inside, and it definitely felt different from a regular croquette. Since this is a snack you'd eat while traveling in Sokcho, this kind of regional touch made it more fun.

And if you like sweet things, the seed red bean croquette is also worth trying. The red bean filling had seeds and nuts mixed in, so it had a nutty-sweet flavor along with some crunch in between bites. After eating only savory croquettes, having one red bean croquette at the end was the perfect way to wrap things up.

The biggest strength of Samsam Goroke was that each menu item had a clearly different flavor direction. It would be a shame to buy several and have them all taste similar, but here the ingredients themselves were so different that there was real fun in trying each one. So personally, if it's your first visit, I'd recommend picking several kinds rather than just one.

If you're looking for a snack at Sokcho Jungang Market

There's really a ton of food at Sokcho Jungang Market. You have to eat dakgangjeong, you have to eat squid sundae, you have to eat sulbbang and all sorts of other snacks, and before you know it your stomach is full just from browsing haha

That's why I actually think something like these croquettes, which you can pack up and eat back at your accommodation or take home, is a great option. In particular, Samsam Goroke has some fairly unique menu items beyond the usual croquettes — red crab, pollack roe, jjamppong, gochu japchae — so it was a nice stop while wandering around Sokcho Jungang Market.

Best of all, with such a wide variety, there was fun in agonizing over what to eat lol If you're planning a visit to Sokcho Jungang Market and want something a little different from the usual snacks, give Samsam Goroke a look.

Next time I go to Sokcho Jungang Market, I want to try the menus I missed this time, one by one haha If you're looking for a quick snack during your Sokcho trip, or something to bring home, I hope this helps ~~