Dishes
Pancakes & Fried 전·튀김
12 Korean pancakes and fried dishes explained — what's in each one, how spicy it is, and how to order it.
Jeon (전) are pan-fried pancakes and fritters — vegetables, seafood or meat dipped in flour and egg and fried in a shallow pan. Green onion and kimchi pancakes are restaurant dishes, while zucchini slices, meat patties and fish fillets make up the platter (modumjeon) that families cook for holidays. Twigim (튀김) is deep-fried, the snack-bar version.
Good to know
Jeon is dipped in soy sauce mixed with vinegar. On rainy days Koreans pair pajeon with makgeolli — the sizzle in the pan is said to sound like rain. Pancake restaurants often sell a platter of several kinds, which is the easiest way to try them.
Questions about Korean pancakes and fried snacks
Are Korean pancakes vegetarian?
Some are: green onion, potato and zucchini pancakes have no meat, although most use egg in the batter. Seafood, kimchi and mung bean pancakes may contain seafood or pork — ask.
What is the difference between pajeon and haemul pajeon?
Pajeon is a green onion pancake. Haemul pajeon is the same pancake loaded with seafood such as squid, shrimp and clams.
Which Korean pancakes and fried snacks are not spicy?
Not spicy: Pajeon, Seafood Green Onion Pancake, Potato Pancake, Bindaetteok, Meat Patties, Pan-fried Beef Slices, Zucchini Pancakes, Assorted Pancakes, Assorted Fried Snacks, Fried Seaweed Rolls, Fried Squid.