Sokcho traditional snack shop: buckwheat grain gangjeong, Ibuja Mayak

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan (이부자마약곳간) is a grain gangjeong shop in unit 137 on the first floor of Sokcho Central Market (Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market). It sells Sokcho-style grain gangjeong, a healthy snack that both kids and adults love :)

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan hours, address and closing day

• Address / 16 Jungang-ro147beon-gil, Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market 1F, Unit 137, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
• Hours / Mon–Tue, Thu–Fri 08:30–19:30, Sat–Sun 08:30–20:00
• Closed / Every Wednesday

Parking at Sokcho Central Market: free 30 minutes over 15,000 won

The Sokcho Tourist Fisheries Market public parking lot charges ₩400 for the first 30 minutes, then ₩200 for every additional 10 minutes. Spend ₩15,000 or more at Ibuja Mayak Gotgan and you get a voucher for 30 minutes of free parking.

Walking down from the parking lot brings you right to the market's public restrooms, and the market entrance is just across the street, so access is really convenient. Getting the parking voucher made the visit that much more stress-free.

Why grain gangjeong is the snack to buy at Sokcho Central Market

If you're stopping by Sokcho Central Market during a Sokcho trip, you can't skip the snacks.

This time, what caught my eye was Ibuja Mayak Gotgan.

Made from brown rice, black rice, buckwheat, and barley, these four types of gangjeong bring out each grain's own flavor — crisp, nutty, and light, a snack that suits every age.

Back at Sokcho Central Market after ten years

I tend to visit the same spots every time I go to Sokcho, so it had genuinely been a long time since I stopped by Sokcho Central Market. Turns out it had been a whole ten years! There's such a variety of food inside the market that it was fun to wander slowly and pick out different things to try.

There's real joy in hunting down food at Sokcho Central Market, and being able to taste so many different things in one place makes it a great stop on a Sokcho trip. It's a place where you can really feel the charm of handmade traditional snacks.

The storefront itself carries that warm traditional-market atmosphere, and the friendly way vendors chat with passing customers added to the market's particular kind of comfort — it made the whole visit feel easy. If you want to soak up the mood of Sokcho, or enjoy a healthy dessert, how about a crispy piece of grain gangjeong from Ibuja Mayak Gotgan?

How to find Ibuja Mayak Gotgan inside the market

Ibuja Mayak Gotgan sits in the Jungang-tong section of Sokcho Central Market. It's No. 19, roughly midway down the main alley near the sulppang (steamed rice cake) shop. Being right inside the market makes it easy to stop by while browsing, and since it sells gangjeong made from grains, it also works well as a snack or a gift.

What brown rice, black rice and buckwheat gangjeong taste like

The shop's signature item is grain gangjeong made with a range of grains — brown rice, black rice, buckwheat, white rice, and yellow rice. Samples were set out to try, which made it easy to find a flavor that suited my taste.

Biting into the grain gangjeong, the crisp texture is the main draw, along with the distinct nuttiness of the grains. It's a sweet snack, but the toasty grain flavor comes through too, so it pairs nicely with coffee or tea, and it's good for nibbling on when you need a little something during a trip.

Is Ibuja Mayak Gotgan gangjeong a good Sokcho gift?

There are also multi-flavor sets that pack several kinds together, which would make a nice Sokcho travel gift for family or friends. And since you can buy it right there in the market and it packs easily for the road, that's another plus.

Sokcho Central Market has plenty of famous food like dak-gangjeong (sweet crispy fried chicken) or squid sundae (stuffed squid sausage), but if you're after something a little different, or a gift for parents, grain gangjeong is worth a look too. If you're after a light snack for your Sokcho trip or something to bring home, try a few flavors at Ibuja Mayak Gotgan and pick whichever suits you.