When most people hear the word “hot dog” they think of the sausage in a bun covered in ketchup, mustard, and relish. In South Korea, however, the average person’s idea of a hot dog is quite different. Korean style hot dogs are a popular street food that can be found all over South Korea.

It looks more like what most would know as a “corn dog.” While both foods may look the same, the preparation has a major difference that changes the overall experience of eating. Corn dogs are sausages that are skewered onto sticks then dipped into a batter of flour and cornmeal before frying. Korean style hot dogs are wrapped in a dough instead of dipped into a batter changing the overall texture. While the dough changes the texture, the Korean style hot dog, also plays with different ingredients, including even taking the sausage completely out. When Korean hot dogs are served, they are often coated in sugar, adding a sweet twist to a normally savory snack. 

The most popular version of the Korean style hot dogs comes from the chain restaurant called MyungRang Hot Dog. While the United States pricing is seen above, the average pricing in Korea is between 1,000 to 3,000 Korean Won. While the most basic “hot dog” is just wrapped in dough, fried, and served with a sprinkle of sugar, there are other versions that may be more suited to specific tastes. Some other crowd favorites are the Mozzarella and Sausage hot dog with mozzarella cheese wrapped around the sausage underneath a gorgeous golden brown, deep-fried dough. MyungRang also provide options for people who are vegetarians including fried mozzarella on a stick and rice cake hot dogs. 

Eating at the local MyungRang Hot Dog in my neighborhood, it was easy to try the whole menu. If you ever get a chance to try the corn dog’s tastier older sibling, you cannot go wrong with the original or, for the more adventurous, the squid ink hot dog!