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Pajeon (파전)

Jeon (Savory Pancakes)

Green-onion pancake — the official food of rainy days.

Korean name
파전
Spice level
Not spicy
Flavor
savory · crispy
Typically contains
wheat flour, egg
Vegetarian / vegan
Sometimes — vegetable-forward, but anchovy broth, fish sauce or meat garnish is common. Ask first
Typical price
₩10,000–₩15,000 per dish checked 2026-07 — varies by area
Good to know
Beginner-friendly ●●●●○ Solo dining ●●●○○ Kid-friendly ●●●●○
Also written as
pa jeon, pajun, green onion pancake, scallion pancake korean

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.

Pajeon (파전)

What is Pajeon?

Pajeon (파전) is a savory scallion pancake — whole green onions bound in a light batter and pan-fried until the edges crisp. It is famously paired with makgeolli rice wine on rainy days, a habit Koreans half-jokingly attribute to the sound of rain resembling sizzling oil. You will find it at traditional pubs (jujeom), markets, and mountain-trail restaurants.

How to eat it

  1. Order one per 2–3 people. A proper pajeon arrives whole on a plate, often still sizzling; it is a sharing dish, not an individual portion.
  2. Cut with scissors or tear with chopsticks. Most places bring kitchen scissors — cut a grid, or tear wedge by wedge from the crispy edge inward.
  3. Dip lightly in the soy sauce. The dipping sauce (soy, vinegar, chili) is for accent — a quick dip of one corner, not a soak, or the crust goes soggy.
  4. Eat the edges first. The lacy, fried rim is the best part and softens fastest; locals work from the outside in.

Cooking it at home

  1. Make a thin batter — Korean pancake mix (buchimgaru, 부침가루) and ice-cold water, roughly 1:1. Cold water keeps it crisp.
  2. Lay whole scallions in a well-oiled, hot pan, pour batter just to cover, and press down.
  3. Fry over medium-high heat 3–4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Be generous with oil — pajeon is shallow-fried, not dry-cooked.
  4. Mix a dip of 2 parts soy sauce, 1 part vinegar, and a pinch of chili flakes.

Good to know

  • Contains wheat (batter) and usually egg; seafood versions share the same oil and pan at most restaurants — tell them if you have a shellfish allergy.
  • Best eaten immediately — it loses its crispness within about 10 minutes.

The rainy-day pajeon-and-makgeolli pairing is a genuine, widely practiced custom, not a tourist story.

Dongnae pajeon (동래파전) from Busan is a famous regional variant enriched with seafood and rice-flour batter.

Nutrition

Calories195 kcal
Carbohydrate23.2 g
Protein4.56 g
Fat9.35 g
Sodium231 mg

Per serving (~150g): ≈293 kcal · sodium ≈347 mg (17% of the WHO daily guideline, 2,000 mg)

Per 100g · total serving 150g · Official data: National Integrated Food Nutritional Information Standard Data (Korea MFDS) (DB item: 파전, synced 2026-07-17). Values vary by recipe and portion.

Featured in: Korean Rainy-Day Food

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