Jokbal (족발)

Soy-braised pig's trotters, sliced and wrapped in lettuce.

Korean name: 족발
Spice level: Not spicy
Flavor: savory · sweet
Typically contains: pork
Vegetarian / vegan: Not vegetarian — meat or seafood is core to the dish
Typical price: ₩30,000–₩45,000 per dish checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know: Beginner-friendly ●●●○○ Solo dining ●●○○○ Kid-friendly ●●○○○
Also written as: jok bal, pig trotters, braised pork feet, jokbal bossam

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 Jokbal?

Jokbal (족발) is pig's trotters braised in a soy broth with ginger, garlic, and often traditional medicinal aromatics, then sliced off the bone. The skin turns glossy and gelatinous while the meat stays rich and tender; it is eaten wrapped in lettuce with saeujeot (salted shrimp dip). A classic late-night delivery food and soju partner, with a dedicated alley at Seoul's Jangchung-dong.

How to eat it

Take a slice, dip in saeu-jeot (salted shrimp sauce) — that tiny dip is what cuts the richness.
Wrap in lettuce with ssamjang, garlic and chili like other ssam food.
Alternate with the radish water-kimchi; jokbal without something cold and sharp gets heavy fast.

Good to know

Skin and tendon texture (bouncy, gelatinous) is the whole point — order 'apdari' (front leg) for leaner meat if unsure.
Portions are huge; a 'small' feeds two.

Peak jokbal culture is late-night delivery with soju; Jangchung-dong in Seoul is the historic jokbal street.

Where to eat it

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

만족오향족발 · Manjok Ohyang Jokbal City Hall (Jung-gu) · ₩₩

Best known for this dishMICHELIN Bib Gourmand

Five-spice jokbal that made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list — glossy, clove-scented trotters that convert first-timers on the spot.

Known for: Jokbal

Naver Map ↗ Google Maps ↗

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

Nutrition

Calories	233 kcal
Carbohydrate	0.93 g
Protein	26.04 g
Fat	13.91 g
Sodium	345 mg

Per serving (~250g): ≈583 kcal · sodium ≈863 mg (43% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 250g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 족발, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.