Sundae

Steamed sausage stuffed with glass noodles, vegetables, and pork blood — a filling and beloved Korean street food.

Korean sundae bears no resemblance to the ice cream dessert it sounds like in English; instead, it is a steamed sausage made by filling pig intestines with a mixture of cellophane noodles, barley, pork blood, fermented shrimp, and seasoned vegetables. It has a long history in Korea stretching back centuries, appearing in royal court cuisine records, and regional variations still exist — the Abai sundae from the Hamgyeong province in the north uses more rice than noodles and is especially popular in the Sokcho area, where North Korean refugees settled after the Korean War. In modern Korea, sundae is sold at street carts and pojangmacha tents, typically served on a paper plate alongside steamed pork liver and lung, with a dish of coarse salt and chili powder for dipping. The flavor is mild, earthy, and savory, and the texture is soft with a slight chewiness from the noodles. Many Koreans have a deep nostalgic connection to sundae, remembering it as the affordable treat their parents bought them at outdoor markets.