Bungeoppang map returns to guide locals to favorite winter snack

Bungeoppang (Getty Images Bank)

A mobile map that locates vendors of the fish-shaped bun bungeoppang has returned, making it easier for locals to find Korea’s beloved winter treat.

Karrot Market, South Korea’s largest community marketplace platform, announced Tuesday the return of its seasonal map for winter snacks, rebranded as the “Bungeoppang Map” this year. Originally launched in 2020, the service allows users to share the locations of food stalls selling winter snacks. While previous maps included snacks like hotteok and roasted sweet potatoes, this year’s version focuses exclusively on bungeoppang.

The change was inspired by data showing bungeoppang-related searches significantly outnumbering other keywords on Karrot Market. Other winter snacks can still be located using the app's search function.

Bungeoppang -- a combination of the words "bungeo" meaning crucian carp and "ppang" meaning bread -- is a fish-shaped pastry filled with red bean paste. Some vendors have diversified the filling with custard cream, sweet potato or pizza. It is usually sold at street stalls, making it difficult to find since the vendors do not always have a fixed location.

The “Neighborhood Map” section of the Karrot Market app enables users to pin bungeoppang locations and edit or remove information as needed. Users can also add details such as operating hours, prices and reviews.

The map will remain available until late March or early April, according to the company.

“When the weather turns cold, we have noticed an increase in users asking about bungeoppang locations,” said Yang Hae-sung, product manager for Karrot’s neighborhood map, adding hope that high-quality local information can be actively shared on the platform.

By Ahn Sung-mi(sahn@heraldcorp.com)