Korean Odeng: The Eomuk Skewers Found at Every Pojangmacha

On a chilly evening in Korea, one of the most comforting sights is a row of fish-cake skewers steaming in a metal broth pot at a pojangmacha. Koreans commonly call this street food odeng (오뎅), although the standard Korean word is eomuk (어묵).

The vendor lifts a folded fish-cake skewer from the broth and serves it with a small paper cup of hot soup. Nearby, there is often a pan of spicy tteokbokki, rolls of gimbap, and coils of sundae. Together, these foods create one of Korea’s most familiar street-food scenes.

AI-generated image created for K-Food Monster

What Koreans Mean by Odeng

In everyday Korean conversation, odeng usually refers to fish cake itself—especially the thin, folded pieces threaded onto long wooden skewers and kept warm in broth. Fish cake is made mainly from finely ground white fish mixed with starch and seasonings, then shaped and cooked.

The word odeng comes from the Japanese word oden (おでん). In Japan, oden refers to an entire simmered dish containing several ingredients. In Korea, however, the borrowed word developed a narrower everyday meaning and is often used for the fish cake. Eomuk is the standard Korean term, but many people still naturally say odeng, especially when talking about the street-food version.

The Skewer and the Broth Belong Together

Korean street-style odeng is mild, savory, and pleasantly springy. Its broth is usually made with ingredients such as dried anchovies, kelp, and radish. The fish cake absorbs the warm broth while it simmers, and the broth gains flavor from the fish cake in return.

At many stalls, customers eat the skewer first and sip the broth from a paper cup between bites. This simple ritual is especially satisfying in cold weather. For many Koreans, the smell of the broth and the steam rising from the pot bring back memories of school days, shopping streets, and late-night walks.

Why Busan Is Famous for Eomuk

Busan, Korea’s best-known port city, is especially associated with eomuk. Its seafood industry and access to fish helped it become an important center of fish-cake production.

Today, “Busan eomuk” is widely recognized for its variety and quality, from simple flat sheets to thicker handmade styles filled with vegetables or other ingredients.

The Classic Pojangmacha Companions

Odeng rarely stands alone at a Korean street-food stall. Tteokbokki brings chewy rice cakes and a sweet-spicy red sauce. Gimbap offers rice and savory fillings rolled in seaweed. Sundae, Korea’s traditional blood sausage, adds a hearty, earthy flavor. A bite of mild odeng—or a sip of its broth—provides a welcome pause from spicy tteokbokki.

These four foods—odeng, tteokbokki, gimbap, and sundae—are among the most recognizable dishes found at Korean markets and pojangmacha. They are inexpensive, quick to serve, and easy to share, making them ideal street food.

More Than a Quick Snack

A pojangmacha is more than a place to eat. It is a casual social space where friends, coworkers, students, and strangers can stand close together, warm their hands near the cooking pots, and enjoy a simple meal. The atmosphere is informal and welcoming.

Whether you call it odeng or eomuk, folded fish cake on a skewer remains one of Korea’s most beloved everyday foods. It is humble, comforting, and inseparable from the sights, sounds, and warmth of Korean street life.