Korean Winter Street Snacks: Gun-goguma and Roasted Chestnuts

Gun-goguma: roasted sweet potato

Gun-goguma is sweet potato slow-roasted in a large rotating drum oven, usually mounted on a street cart, until the skin chars slightly and the inside turns soft and caramelized. It's sold whole, wrapped in paper, and eaten by peeling back the skin -- a simple, filling snack that's especially popular as a way to warm your hands on a cold walk.

Roasted chestnuts

Roasted chestnuts (bam) are sold from similar drum-roaster carts, often the same vendors who sell gun-goguma, tossed with a bit of sugar syrup in some versions for extra sheen and sweetness. They're typically sold in a paper bag by weight, meant to be peeled and eaten on the spot while still warm.

Where to find these carts

• Street carts selling gun-goguma and roasted chestnuts appear seasonally (roughly autumn through winter) near subway station exits, market entrances and busy pedestrian streets.
• Myeongdong, Hongdae and traditional market entrances (Namdaemun, Gwangjang) are reliable spots to find a vendor during the season.
• These are separate from the bungeoppang and hotteok fried-batter snacks covered elsewhere -- look specifically for a rotating drum oven rather than a griddle or fryer setup.

Pricing and buying etiquette

Both snacks are priced modestly, generally a few thousand won per bag depending on size, making them an easy, low-commitment stop between sightseeing spots. Vendors typically operate from a simple cash-only setup, so keep small bills or coins on hand rather than expecting card payment at a street cart. Because these are seasonal, weather-dependent businesses, exact locations can shift from year to year -- if a specific cart isn't where you remember it, a nearby subway exit or market entrance is usually still a reliable bet during the season.