“What should I feed my foreign friend when they visit Korea?” If you’ve got Korean friends, you’ve seen this question spark a minor debate — probably over drinks. Here’s the thing: there’s actual survey data behind these arguments, and the results aren’t always what you’d expect. This piece puts three major surveys side by side: what Koreans want foreigners to eat (DuIt Survey, 2019), what foreigners actually love most (Korean Food Promotion Institute, 2023 — 18 cities, 9,000 respondents), and which adventurous dishes intrigue them the most (Korea Tourism Organization, 2018, 944 respondents). The gap between the recommender and the eater is where the fun is.
At a Glance
- Koreans' #1 pick to recommend = galbijjim (braised short ribs) at 47.4%, then bulgogi, kimchi, samgyeopsal, bibimbap.
- Foreigners' actual favorite Korean dish = Korean fried chicken at 16.5%, then ramyeon, kimchi.
- Most-wanted adventurous dish = sannakji (live octopus) at 26%, then ganjang gejang, sundae.
What Do Koreans Most Want Foreigners to Eat?
Let’s cut to it: galbijjim takes the crown. The online survey outfit DuIt Survey ran a poll from September 25 to October 3, 2019 asking Koreans exactly this: “Which Korean dish would you introduce to a foreigner?” (multiple answers allowed). Respondents overwhelmingly pointed to galbijjim — those gloriously tender, soy-and-sugar-braised short ribs that collapse at the touch of a chopstick. The top ranks are dominated by meat dishes that play it safe on the flavor front, with kimchi as the sole fermented interloper in the top tier.
| Rank | Dish | % Who Picked It | In a Nutshell |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galbijjim (braised short ribs) | 47.4% | Savory-sweet braised beef ribs — practically nobody dislikes this |
| 2 | Bulgogi | 42% | Thin-sliced soy-marinated beef, tender and mildly sweet |
| 3 | Kimchi | 27.8% | The iconic fermented side dish |
| 4 | Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) | 24.9% | DIY grilling at the table — as much an experience as a meal |
| 5 | Bibimbap | 22.2% | Rice bowl with vegetables and gochujang — easy to adapt for vegetarians |
| 6 | Gim (seasoned seaweed) | 20.5% | Salty-savory roasted seaweed sheets, a side dish and snack |
| 7 | Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) | 17.8% | Gochujang-spiked chicken stir-fry |
| 8 | Gimbap | 15.9% | Rice-and-fillings rolled in seaweed — a meal in a cylinder |
| 9 | Tteokbokki | 14.2% | Spicy-sweet rice cakes, the king of Korean street food |
| 10 | Korean fried chicken | 13.3% | Double-fried, shatteringly crisp |
| 11 | Japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) | 10.7% | Sweet soy-slicked sweet potato noodles, a celebration staple |
| 12 | Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) | 9.6% | Whole chicken stuffed with rice and ginseng — Korea’s ultimate comfort tonic |
| 13 | Pajeon / Haemul pajeon (scallion/seafood pancake) | 8.6% | Crispy-edged pancakes, best eaten on rainy days with makgeolli |
| 14 | Sundubu-jjigae (soft tofu stew) | 2.4% | Silken tofu in a bubbling spicy broth |
Source: DuIt Survey, September 2019 (multiple responses allowed). Percentages reflect how many respondents chose each dish.
What jumps out? Four of the top five are meat dishes. When Koreans think “what’s the safest card to play for a newcomer?”, their gut says familiar savory-sweet meat, not funky fermentation or aggressive spice. The strategy is clear: win them over on comfort before showing them the deep cuts.
Why Do Galbijjim, Bulgogi, and Samgyeopsal Dominate?
Short answer: they’re the hardest to hate. Galbijjim and bulgogi are built on a foundation of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and Korean pear — ingredients that form a flavor bridge to nearly every cuisine on earth. Galbijjim in particular shares DNA with European braises and North American pot roasts; it lands on the table feeling both exotic and deeply familiar in the same bite. That first mouthful doesn’t ask much of you, and that’s the point.
Samgyeopsal earns its spot for a different reason. Sure, the pork belly is glorious, but what Koreans are really selling here is the ritual: the sizzling tabletop grill, the lettuce wraps (ssam), the sesame oil dip with salt and pepper, the shot of soju between bites. It’s not just a dish — it’s a whole way of eating, and that’s what makes it such a compelling recommendation. You’re not just feeding someone; you’re inducting them into Korean dining culture in real time.
At the other end, sundubu-jjigae’s meager 2.4% isn’t about the taste (it’s incredible). It’s about perception: a bubbling cauldron of soft tofu in a spicy, fermented broth is a lot to throw at someone on meal one. Koreans instinctively know this — they’re not gatekeeping, they’re sequencing.
What Do Foreigners Actually Love? (The Answer Might Surprise You)
It’s not the same list. Not even close. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute ran a massive survey in 2023 across 18 cities worldwide — New York, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, you name it — asking locals what they thought of Korean food. When it came to the dish they actually liked best, the winner was Korean fried chicken.
| Category | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| What comes to mind when you think “Korean food”? | Kimchi (40.2%) | Bibimbap (23.6%) | Bulgogi (16.3%) |
| Which Korean dish do you like most? | Korean fried chicken (16.5%) | Ramyeon (11.1%) | Kimchi (9.8%) |
Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs / Korean Food Promotion Institute, 2023 Overseas Korean Food Consumer Survey (18 cities, some questions allowed multiple responses). Korean food satisfaction rate: 92.5%. Respondents who said they “know Korean food well”: 60.0%.
Here’s what’s fascinating: the image of Korean food in foreigners’ heads — kimchi, bibimbap, bulgogi — lines up neatly with what Koreans expect. But the dish they actually named as their favorite? It’s the casual, accessible stuff: fried chicken and instant noodles. Koreans reach for the dinner-party repertoire when making recommendations; foreigners gravitate toward what they’d happily eat on a random Tuesday. Trust me on this one — if you’re hosting a visitor, by all means book that gorgeous galbijjim place, but also work in a fried chicken joint and a convenience-store ramyeon run. The satisfaction curve may surprise you.
What Adventurous Korean Foods Intrigue Foreigners Most?
Not every recommendation needs to play it safe. The Korea Tourism Organization asked 944 international SNS followers in November 2018 which “unusual Korean food” they’d most want to try, and the runaway winner was a dish that’s still moving when it hits the table.
| Rank | Adventurous Dish | % Who Want to Try It |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sannakji (live octopus) | 26% |
| 2 | Ganjang gejang (raw crabs marinated in soy sauce) | 14.6% |
| 3 | Sundae (Korean blood sausage) | 14.2% |
| 4 | Hongeo (fermented skate) | 10.3% |
| 5 | Yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) | 7.7% |
| 6 | Cheonggukjang (extra-fermented soybean paste stew) | 6.7% |
Source: Korea Tourism Organization, November 2018, survey of 944 international SNS followers.
The language-group splits are where this gets properly interesting. English speakers leaned toward ganjang gejang (18%) and sannakji (16.7%). Japanese speakers went surprisingly hard for hongeo — the infamously pungent fermented skate — at 23.5%. And Chinese speakers? A full third of them (34.2%) named sannakji. If your guest has an adventurous streak, you know what to do: sannakji and ganjang gejang for the bold, sundae and yukhoe for the cautiously curious, and hongeo only if they’ve explicitly asked for something that’ll make their nose hairs curl.
So, What Should You Feed Your Foreign Friend First?
Overlay all three surveys and the game plan writes itself. Here’s how to sequence it based on who’s sitting across the table:
| Your Guest | Recommended Order | Why This Works |
|---|---|---|
| First-timer, no Korean food experience | Galbijjim/bulgogi → samgyeopsal → bibimbap | Savory-sweet meat flavors, minimal risk of rejection |
| Casual eater, loves a bargain | Korean fried chicken → ramyeon → gimbap/tteokbokki | Matches what foreigners actually say they love — affordable, accessible, zero pretense |
| Adventure-seeker | Sannakji → ganjang gejang → hongeo | Follows the “unusual foods” survey rankings — escalating intensity |
| Vegetarian / vegan | Bibimbap → japchae → pajeon | Naturally meat-free (or easily adapted) — just confirm the kitchen skips the fish sauce |
| Health-conscious / comfort-food hunter | Samgyetang → sundubu-jjigae | Broth-based restorative dishes with a wholesome reputation |
The smart play: open with a confidence-builder like galbijjim or samgyeopsal, win their trust, then broaden the game — fried chicken and ramyeon for the crowd-pleasers, sannakji and ganjang gejang for the stories they’ll tell back home. Two or three meals in, you’ll know exactly which lane suits them best.
Where Should You Eat These Dishes? (A Few Legendary Spots in Seoul)
You’ve got the menu. Now you need the address. Below are a handful of Seoul institutions — old-guard spots and market landmarks — that anchor each dish on this list. Prices and hours shift with the seasons, so double-check before you go.
Samgyetang — Tosokchon (near Gyeongbokgung Palace) Seoul’s definitive ginseng chicken soup since 1983. A whole-chicken samgyetang runs around ₩20,000 and up. On boknal (the hottest days of summer), the queue snakes out the door before they even open.
Ganjang Gejang — Sinsa·Nonhyeon Soy Crab Alley (Gangnam area) The “rice thief” (bapdoduk) lives up to the nickname in this cluster of soy-crab specialists south of the river. You’ll find everything from all-you-can-eat joints to hushed, minimalist rooms with decades of pedigree.
Sannakji & Seafood — Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market The classic spot to eat octopus that’s still squirming. Pick your creature from the tank upstairs, and a restaurant downstairs turns it into a plate of wriggling tentacles within minutes. Exactly the kind of place you bring the friend who checked “adventure-seeker” on the survey. 📍 Open in Naver Map
Street Food (Tteokbokki·Gimbap) — Gwangjang Market Seoul’s oldest market, open since 1905, and still the city’s best one-stop eating hall. Mayak gimbap (“addictive” mini seaweed rolls), mung-bean pancakes (bindaetteok), and tteokbokki all within arm’s reach. A word to the wise: the tourist-facing stalls near the main gates have a reputation for iffy pricing. Venture deeper into the lanes and pick a stall with prices clearly posted — your wallet will thank you. 📍 Open in Naver Map
Sources
- 외국인에게 소개하고 싶은 한국음식 TOP 15 — CaTalk (citing DuIt Survey 2019)
- 해외 소비자, 한식 하면 떠오르는 메뉴 1위 ‘김치’…선호도는 ‘한국식 치킨’ 가장 높아 — 식품음료신문 (Korean Food Promotion Institute 2023 survey)
- 외국인 10명 중 6명은 “한식 잘 안다”…’K-치킨’ 가장 선호 — 아시아경제 (Korean Food Promotion Institute 2023)
- “한국 가면 ‘이것’ 가장 먹어보고 싶어요”, 외국인이 제일 선호한 이색 한식은 ‘산낙지’ — 여행스케치 (Korea Tourism Organization 2018 press release)
- 외국인이 먹어보고픈 이색 한식 2위는 ‘간장게장’, 1위는? — 파이낸셜뉴스 (Korea Tourism Organization 2018)