Sokcho market snack: tasting grain gangjeong flavors, Ibuja Mayak

There's so much good food at Sokcho Jungang Market, right? You've got to eat the dakgangjeong (sweet-spicy fried chicken bites), the croquettes, and you've got to at least check out the sulbbang (rice yeast cake) and squid sundae haha. But this time while wandering through the market, one place stopped me in my tracks with its nutty aroma. It was Ibuja Mayak Gotgan (이부자마약곳간) :)

The name itself is kind of funny — 'mayak' means 'drug' in Korean, as in 'addictive' — but once I tried it, I got why they call it that lol. It's not just a sweet snack; the nutty, clean flavor of the grains themselves is strong, so once you eat one you keep reaching for another. Each type has a slightly different taste and texture too, so there was fun in trying them one by one. Here's my honest review~~!!

Where is Ibuja Mayak Gotgan?

It's located in the food alley of Sokcho Jungang Market. I'm attaching the location of Ibuja Mayak Gotgan — should be handy for your visit. It sits roughly in the middle of the alley where all the food stalls are clustered, so you'll naturally stumble on it while wandering the market. At first I meant to just walk past, but with rows of gangjeong (grain snacks) lined up out front and that nutty smell drifting out, it was hard to just keep going lol.

The tasting counter out front

Best of all, they had a tasting counter set up right in front of the shop so you could try several varieties yourself. This is honestly a huge plus. With grain gangjeong, it's hard to tell exactly what it tastes like just by looking at it. But being able to try it yourself made it easy to find the kind that suits your taste.

The variety at Ibuja Mayak Gotgan is impressive

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan had gangjeong made from all kinds of grains ready to go. From perilla seed to barley, buckwheat, brown rice, black rice, and more — the color and taste varied slightly depending on the grain.

Seeing them laid out by type on the display counter, there were way more varieties than I expected. I'm honestly not usually a big fan of grain gangjeong, but as I tasted my way through, I kept thinking, 'wait, this one's actually good' lol.

What I especially liked was that overall, none of them were overly sweet. Rather than the kind of snack where sugar hits you first, the nutty, clean flavor of the grain itself takes the lead, so it was easy to eat without feeling guilty.

The nuttiness really comes through when you try it

Apparently the gangjeong at Ibuja Mayak Gotgan is made a bit differently from typical gangjeong. They steam the grains, dry them with hot air, then age them to reduce moisture, which is how they get that crisp texture.

Maybe that's why there was almost no greasy feeling when I ate it. With most fried snacks or gangjeong, your hands end up oily, or it feels a bit heavy after eating — but picking these up with my hands, I barely noticed any of that. And they're genuinely crunchy.

Take a bite and you get a proper 'crack!' of a texture lol. But it's not just plain hard crunch — there's a light, airy quality unique to the grains that keeps you reaching for more. So true to the name, I really did keep picking up piece after piece. Doesn't sound like much, but it's the kind of taste that stays on your mind once you start haha.

Each grain tastes a little different

What I noticed while tasting was that even though they're all gangjeong, the flavor clearly changes depending on which grain is used. The perilla seed version has a distinct nuttiness, and the buckwheat has that clean, mild flavor unique to buckwheat. Black rice looked darker to begin with, and its taste felt a bit toastier too!

Brown rice was mild and clean, easy to keep eating without feeling heavy. Trying them one by one, you naturally start picking favorites — 'oh, this one's my top pick.' If you already enjoy nutty flavors like grains or nuts, you'll probably love these.

Why it works as a Sokcho snack

Sokcho Jungang Market has so many bold, rich foods. Things like dakgangjeong or fried snacks are delicious, but can feel a bit much if you keep eating them. Ibuja Mayak Gotgan offered a nice change of pace.

Since the nutty grain flavor is the main event, it pairs well with coffee or tea, and it's the kind of thing you'd happily snack on at home watching TV. Above all, I thought it would make a good snack for parents too. Some people love snack foods but find greasy ones a bit much — for them, a clean, mild grain gangjeong like this could be a good option. My own family tried a piece each and said it was better than they expected haha.

No worries even if it goes soft

One thing that's always a bit of a concern with gangjeong-type snacks is that they can go soft over time. Especially if you're traveling around Sokcho buying this and that and carrying it home, that initial crispness can fade.

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan actually tells you how to bring back the crunch when this happens. If it's gone soft, they say to heat it in the microwave for about 20 seconds, or lightly pan-fry it on low heat.

I liked that there's such a simple fix to restore the crispy texture. Even if you can't eat it right away once you get home, you can still enjoy it just as much later.

Looking for a snack at Sokcho Jungang Market?

Visiting Ibuja Mayak Gotgan this time, I realized grain gangjeong is actually a pretty solid snack. At first I assumed it was just the kind of ordinary gangjeong you see everywhere in markets, but trying it myself, it tasted better than I expected. There's so much variety, which made comparing the flavors of different grains fun, and being able to taste before buying was a real plus. Above all, it's not too sweet, and the nutty, clean flavor of the grains comes through, making it a snack the whole family can enjoy together.

If you're visiting Sokcho Jungang Market, take a stroll through the food stalls and stop by Ibuja Mayak Gotgan too. Just follow the nutty smell and you'll find it in no time haha. Even if you're not usually into grain gangjeong like me, trying it might just change your mind.