I am lucky. I have decided to explore Busan for a little while, staying in an apartment, and the location is perfect. In a local area, surrounded by all things Korean, and what is one of those things? A big and bustling market! Shopping at the authentic Bujeon market in Busan has been extraordinary.
Getting There
Firstly, this is not a tourist market. You will find no souvenirs here. This is as local as it gets. When the Korean War ended, Bujeon market was created by the refugees for the refugees. Its busy, chaotic and utterly fascinating.
You can take the metro from anywhere in Busan and either exit at Seomyeon or Bujeon stations. At Seomyeon take staircase #12 and when you arrive at street level, simply walk straight. You will see the vendors selling on the sidewalk on the left-hand side. Head in here and get lost. Its fun I promise.
The Bujeon market is mostly covered walkways that encompass almost an entire neighbourhood it seems. Each time I enter, I invariably get lost but with a quick glance at the map, I can find my way out. Open from dawn to dusk just about every day, visitors will have no problem finding a few hours to have a peek.
Fruit & Veg
I didn’t know this until recently, but Korea does not grow a lot of fruit. The agricultural land is used for grains and such, so most fruit is imported and is expensive! I was really surprised to see the cost of things here, anything from apples, mandarins, bananas, melons and berries. The batch of mandarins I purchased on the first day are from the USA and were $5 for 8 small mandarins. 🤣 In season now are these small yellow melons, these are local or from China. They are crunchy and sweet with not a whole lot of individual flavour.
The vegetables are where this market really shows its true colours. Every single thing you can imagine or haven’t even known existed, is here. I see more things I don’t recognize than I do. Absolute literal tons of onions and garlic, bushels of bean sprouts, tubers, and a vast array of greens.
Pickled Veg
It’s the land of kimchi after all, so there are numerous vendors selling that. Unfortunately, it is far too spicy for me to taste or enjoy but I love the bright colours and watching the ladies scoop up huge handfuls of dripping cabbage and bag it fresh for customers.
Seafood
The second area where this market is a stunner is the seafood. So many varieties and again, many I do not recognize and in fact have never seen in my whole life. There are the typical looking fresh fish including puffer fish, eels, rays and octopus all dripping onto the floor below.
Then there are the molluscs, huge tubs of them. These large black shelled ones look like a muscle of sorts and are bigger than my hand! Ladies shucking these delights over buckets filled with salty brine and discarded shells are fascinating to watch.
Seaweed
Never have I see so much seaweed for sale! Its marvellous to see all of these varieties and I am curious to discover how they are used. In other Asian countries I might see a single variety or two, but here, they seem endless and are really quite beautiful.
Meat
I have only seen one vendor with chicken so far but oh so many with pork. Lots and lots of pig’s bits and pieces, many of which are prepared and packaged for a quick sale. There are vats with various raw meats marinating and others filled with finely filleted pieces. And a surprising amount of cooked pork products too, like whole legs, feet, tails, skin etc.
Dried Goods
From huge bags of nuts, to roots, ginseng, bark and sticks, there is no shortage of interesting things to see in this category. Lots of spices including whole dried chilies to ground curry powder. Fresh peanuts galore and so many smaller bags of things I have not a clue what they are. 🫣
Ready to Eat
There are some vendors selling food that is cooked or cooking and ready to eat here but it is not the focus of this market. I see lots of bubbling soups, fish cake sellers, and sweets. The bread products are so good, a little on the sweet side and are often times filled with things like a red bean paste. Mochi type sweets are also available that I will try before I leave. Have a look at these amazing looking goodies.
This is the perfect market for me. I have yet to see a single tourist in here. I am surrounded by locals, getting jostled and bashed by bags and shoulders. There is no patience or space for a nosy and curious Canadian traveller. And that is just fine. I want to be part of the action, consumed by the atmosphere. If I get a few bruises so be it. Its all part of the experience. 😂
