Pyongan Province encompasses coastal areas along the West Sea of Korea, fertile plains, and rugged mountainous regions. This diverse landscape yields a rich variety of foods including grains, meats, fish, wild herbs, and more.
Traditionally, the people of this region have excelled in making flour-based foods like buckwheat noodles, steamed rice cakes, and glutinous rice dishes, along with meat dishes like grilled beef ribs and blood sausages, as well as well-crafted kimchi.
One distinctive feature of Pyongan Province’s cuisine is that the dishes are tailored to suit individual tastes.
Flour-based foods have been popular in Pyongan Province for a long time. There are various types of noodles such as buckwheat noodles, shepherd’s purse noodles, and knife-cut noodles, each with its unique characteristics.
Rice cakes in this region are known for their large size and soft texture. Some varieties include gaepi rice cakes, which are thin rice cakes with fillings and shaped like half-moons, jojae songpyeon, which are small clam-shaped rice cakes, and kkotgarak rice cakes, which are made from white rice flour and shaped like tails.
When it comes to fish dishes in Pyongan Province, there are dishes made from croaker, yellow corvina, stingray, crab, and flounder.
The name “croaker” comes from its reputation for invigorating one’s vitality. One popular dish is dried croaker seasoned with sesame seeds and chili powder. In the areas around the Apnok River, Cheongcheon River, and Daedong River, grilled eel, steamed trout, and shrimp paste are famous. Additionally, bean sprout kimchi and eggplant kimchi are unique specialty foods that can’t be found in other regions.
The representative liquor of Pyongan Province is a red-colored, sweet-tasting, clear liquor known as “Gamhong-ro.”
People of Pyongan Province take great pride in preparing their food. They make dishes that are visually appealing and present them in a sophisticated manner.
