Sokcho is a city in Gangwon-do province, South Korea. It is located in the far northeast of Gangwon-do. The city is a major tourist hub and a popular gateway to nearby Seoraksan national park. Sokcho is home to the few lakes: Yeongrangho and Cheongchoho that are naturally created by the East Sea.
Hopping on an intercity bus at Seoul Bus Terminal, then hit the road for 2 and a half hours! You will get to a city with a completely different appearance. Sokcho, one of the most popular tourist destinations among young Koreans, is getting ready for the summer!
In Gangwon Province, which includes Sokcho, you can find this noodle cuisine called Jang-Kalguksu. Ordinary Kalguksu is a common Korean food that you can find easily in Seoul, but Jang Kalguksu is a bit unusual. “Jang” means “sauce” in Korean (in this case Gochujang, Korean chili pepper paste), and “Kalguksu” means “knife noodles”. It’s because that noodles used for Kalguksu are often hand-made and the cook cut the noodles by a knife.
Sockho’s traditional market is full of things to see, buy, and eat. Formed in 1953 as the Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, it was included on the Korea Tourism Organization’s list of “Best Traditional Markets for Foreign Tourists”. From fresh fish caught off the coast in the East Sea to dried fish and various vegetables, one can find fun in just looking around and watching the fishmongers bargaining with local market-goers.
But if you’re from a country where people don’t really eat raw fish, you might worry that there would be nothing for you to eat when you go to the sea-side city. This Jang-Kalguksu does not contain seafood and is not “THAT” spicy. Of course, because I am Korean, the standards for spicy foods may be different from yours, but please try! If you have a bite of this spicy, yet kind of sweet sweet hot soup of these noodles, you might be able to experience the real food Korean people enjoy.