Bindaetteok (빈대떡)

Mung-bean pancake with pork and sprouts — market-stall classic.

Korean name: 빈대떡
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: savory · crispy
Typically contains: mung bean, pork
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩5,000–₩7,000 per dish checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●●○ Solo dining ●●●○○ Kid-friendly ●●●●○
Also written as: bindaeddeok, bindaetteok pancake, mung bean pancake, nokdujeon

Spice and flavor are editorial assessments of the standard version — individual restaurants and recipes vary. Ingredient notes are typical, not guaranteed: always check with the restaurant for allergies or dietary needs. Eating and cooking notes describe common practice in Korea; our first-hand deep-dives live in the Eat Like a Local guides.

What is Bindaetteok?

Bindaetteok (빈대떡) is a thick, rustic pancake of ground mung beans with mung bean sprouts, kimchi, and often pork, shallow-fried in lard or oil until shatteringly crisp outside. The classic place to eat it is Gwangjang Market in Seoul, where vendors grind the beans on stone mills in front of you and fry to order.

How to eat it

Eat it standing or elbow-to-elbow at the market. At Gwangjang, you sit at the vendor's counter; one pancake per 1–2 people.
Tear with chopsticks while scalding hot. The crust is the glory — bindaetteok cooled is bindaetteok wasted.
Dip in the onion-soy sauce. Raw onion slices in soy sauce, served alongside, cut the richness; spear an onion piece with each bite.
Order makgeolli with it. This is the definitive market pairing.

Cooking it at home

Soak peeled mung beans (nokdu, 녹두) 3–4 hours and grind with a little water to a coarse batter.
Fold in mung bean sprouts, chopped sour kimchi, and optional ground pork; season with salt only.
Fry thick (about 1.5 cm) in a very generous layer of oil over medium heat, 4–5 minutes per side — it should almost deep-fry at the edge.
Serve with soy sauce holding sliced raw onion.

Good to know

Traditionally fried in lard and often contains pork — vegetarians should ask; the kimchi also usually contains fish sauce.
Naturally flour-free (mung bean base), but cross-contact with wheat batters is common at market stalls.

The name has nothing to do with bedbugs (bindae) despite the spelling coincidence — etymology is debated.

At Gwangjang Market a pancake runs about ₩5,000–₩7,000 and portions are large.

Where to eat it

Selected classic places — verified, sourced, never sponsored. See all →

순희네빈대떡 · Sunhuine Bindaetteok Gwangjang Market (Jongno) · ₩

Best known for this dishGwangjang Market classic

The bindaetteok stall that anchors Gwangjang Market — mung beans stone-ground on the spot, fried loud and crisp in front of you.

Known for: Bindaetteok

Naver Map ↗ Google Maps ↗

Open as of our last check (2026-07-20) · Sources: DiningCode · Siksin — hours, prices and status can change; check the map link before visiting.

Nutrition

Calories	208 kcal
Carbohydrate	20.93 g
Protein	7.94 g
Fat	10.27 g
Sodium	232 mg

Per serving (~100g): ≈208 kcal · sodium ≈232 mg (12% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 100g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 녹두빈대떡, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.