군고구마 · Roasted sweet potato

Roasted sweet potato

군고구마

What exactly is it?

Whole sweet potatoes roast in their skins until the flesh becomes sweet. Varieties range from dry and fluffy to moist and sticky. Slow-roasted ones can become soft enough to scoop with a spoon.

Main ingredients

Sweet potatoes

Ordering and serving

Variety names can help you choose fluffy or moist flesh. At a convenience-store counter, check whether the price is per piece or by weight.

Origins and changes

Sweet potatoes were introduced and promoted as a famine crop in late Joseon. Alongside steaming them as food, roasting developed into a way to enjoy their sweetness as a snack.

Sources checked

encykorea.aks.ac.kr · 1

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Dish to compare

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Roasted sweet potato

군고구마

Main ingredients: Sweet potatoes
Flavor and character: Whole sweet potatoes roast in their skins until the flesh becomes sweet. Varieties range from dry and fluffy to moist and sticky. Slow-roasted ones can become soft enough to scoop with a spoon.
How to eat it: Variety names can help you choose fluffy or moist flesh. At a convenience-store counter, check whether the price is per piece or by weight.

Read about this dish →

Steamed corn

찐옥수수

Main ingredients: Corn and water; optional salt or sweetener
Flavor and character: Whole ears are steamed and eaten from the cob. Waxy corn has a chewy bite, different from juicy sweet corn. White and dark kernels can appear together; variety matters more than color when judging sweetness and texture.
How to eat it: Ask whether it is chewy waxy corn or juicy sweet corn. Some sellers add sweetener during cooking.

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