Have you fallen in love with the dishes that k-drama characters eat onscreen? Well, prepare yourselves for another meal attack! Here are some iconic Korean foods that are Korean actors’ must-have munchies. Warning: You will get hungry.
Fried Chicken Lover
Image Credits: tvN via Dramabeans
Korean fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food, whether on its own or with beer (chimaek, 치맥). Many Koreans love this food, but one actor stands out: Nam Joo-hyuk. The male lead from “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo” (2016), “Start Up” (2020), and “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” (2022) is known as “chicken boy” due to his love for poultry. And if you look at his roles in “Kim Bok-joo” and “Bride of the Water God” (2017), fried chicken is never far away!
Cut Me Some Kalguksu
Image Credits: Hyunwoo Sun via Flickr
Knife-cut noodles (kalguksu, 칼국수) are an underrated dish that has at least one celebrity fan. Song Joong-ki, who starred in “Descendants of the Sun” (2016), “Vincenzo” (2021, below), and “Reborn Rich” (2022), loves the kalguksu from his hometown Daejeon. Bae Suzy, who appeared in “Vagabond” (2019) and “Start-Up”, also likes kalguksu, but not as much as another noodle dish, which we'll get to later.
Image Credits: Netflix via Korean Dramaland
Stews and Such
Image Credits: haniel francesca via Flickr
If you visit a pocha (포장마차) late at night, chances are you’ll be served a bowl of stew (jjigae, 찌개) with your soju. The hearty spicy soup will fill you up while also keeping away, or at least easing, your hangover.
Image Credits: Lee Jong-suk via Instagram
“Big Mouth” (2022) star Lee Jong-suk loves doenjang jjigae, made with soybean paste (shown above), while “Beethoven Virus” (2008) actor Jang Keun-suk and Song Joong-ki both like kimchi jjigae. “Strong Woman Do Bong-soon” (2016) actress Park Bo-young also loves stews and can make kimchi jjigae.
All Things Kimchi
Image Credits: Kirk K via Flickr
We’ve mentioned kimchi before, but we can’t stress enough how important kimchi is to Koreans. Present at almost every meal, whether as a side dish (banchan, 반찬) or the main course, you either love it or at least respect it.
Image Credits: Park Seo-joon via Instagram
Besides the kimchi jjigae, there are other kimchi dishes that Korean actors like. “Itaewon Class” (2020) actor Park Seo-joon loves kimchi fried rice, or kimchi bokkeumbap (김치볶음밥, shown above), while IU’s favorite banchan is kimchi, along with other unusual dishes.
Talk Tteokbokki to Me
Image Credits: cassaendra via Flickr
When you think of Korean street food, chances are that tteokbokki (떡볶이) is the first thing that comes to mind. These spicy rice cakes are popular with many tourists and native Koreans, including “The Heirs” (2013) actor Kim Woo-bin. In fact, he is one of a few stars that regularly visit Kkot Saseum Tteokbokki in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Image Credits: SBS via Korean Dramaland
Kim’s co-star Park Hyung-sik also enjoys this dish. In fact, he likes anything spicy, from tteokbokki to the hot seafood soup jjamppong (짬뽕). In his appearance on variety show “Infinite Challenge” in 2014, the actor-singer not only handled the heat better than the TV cast. He also shared that he loved to eat spicy food at restaurants with his fellow ZE:A members, who weren’t so lucky.
Image Credits: MBC via Yahoo Life
Would You Like to Eat Some Ramyun?
Image Credits: Bae Suzy via Instagram
Who doesn’t love ramyun (라면)? A quick snack or simple meal, ramyun will always be there to curb your cravings. Bae Suzy is one actress who’s always up for these spicy noodles. She even called some ramen she had in Ginza, Tokyo, “my love.”
Image Credits: Han So-hee via Instagram
She is in good company. “My Name” (2021) actress Han So-hee loves ramyun so much that she eats it first thing on her flights. And “Mr. Queen” (2020) star Shin Hye-sun wants to do a ramyun commercial film someday.
Seoulbox: Snacks for the Stans
You’re probably wondering how you’ll get a taste of this delicious food. There’s a better chance of eating authentic Korean food than seeing your favorite k-drama actor or actress in person, but what if there’s no Korean restaurant in your town? Luckily, Seoulbox has the answer.
Image Credits: Seoulbox via Instagram
With special themed boxes each month (this April, it’s Korean Dramas), you’ll get an assortment of chips, cookies, cakes, K-pop merch, and K-beauty products, as well as an informative and beautifully made Seoulzine. It’s a great way to try different products and get a feel of what Korean culture has to offer. So, how do you order a box? Here are a few easy steps.
Image Credits: Image via Seoulbox
Go to the Seoulbox homepage. From there, you can press any button that has the word “Shop”, including the dropdown menu. If you’re unsure of what box to get, click on “Take the Quiz.” Seoulbox Signature is the regular snack box, Seoulbox V is Vegetarian, and Seoulbox Life contains K-beauty products.
Image Credits: Image via Seoulbox
Select the frequency of the box. There are five options for the snack boxes, including One Time and 3-month. For Seoulbox Life, there are the One Time and Quarterly options. You can start with a One Time subscription and upgrade it later.
Image Credits: Sandra S via Seoulbox
Pay at checkout. It’s now time to sit back and relax while you wait for your Seoulbox. Snap a photo or post a review and tag us on social media. You’ll have a chance to win a free box for yourself, your family, or your oppa on date night!
Did we miss any foods your favorite Korean actor likes? Have you been inspired to try a Korean dish because of a k-drama star? Tell us down below!
