Where to Find Real Yakgwa in Seoul Before Chuseok: Jongno Tradition Meets a Modern Twist
Three days before Chuseok, a line forms early in the morning outside a rice-cake shop in Jongno 2-ga, Seoul. Inside the glass display case sit stacks of flower-shaped brown confections — yakgwa (藥果), a traditional Korean sweet made by pressing honey-and-sesame-oil wheat dough into molds and deep-frying it. Every time the door opens, a rush of honey-and-sesame-oil scent drifts into the alley, and customers hurry off clutching their boxed treats.
At a glance: Jongno Bokddeokbang (Jongno 2-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul; opened 1965) · Cafe Eum (36 Seogang-ro 11-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the Gyeongui Line Forest Park trail) · Chuseok holiday 2026: September 24-26.
Yakgwa is back in the spotlight for two reasons. One is the holiday: it has long been placed on ancestral-rite tables and exchanged as a holiday gift, and according to the writings of the late-Joseon scholar Jeong Yak-yong, honey was once so precious that it was regarded as medicine — which is why the character for 'medicine' (藥) appears in the sweet's name. The other is that, over the past few years, Seoul cafes have been reworking yakgwa into croissants, tarts, and cream desserts, sending it viral on social media all over again.
Jongno Bokddeokbang, which opened in Jongno 2-ga in 1965, is one of the shops still making yakgwa the traditional way. It was designated an official food for the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and supplied in-flight meals for Korean Air in 1990 — a long track record behind its name. Bite into one and the crisp shell snaps with an audible crack, while the honey-soaked inside stretches soft and chewy. Chew a little longer and the sesame oil's nutty aroma layers over the honey's deep sweetness, so that a single piece leaves the mouth richly sweet. Gift boxes routinely sell out ahead of holidays, giving rise to the fan slang 'yak-keting,' a mashup of yakgwa and 'ticketing' that mocks how hard they are to snag.
Meanwhile, beside the Gyeongui Line Forest Park trail in Mapo-gu, a signless cafe with a glass storefront called Eum gives yakgwa an entirely different face. Its signature 'gyeol-yakgwa' tops a crisp, flaky-fried yakgwa with soft cream. Bite in, and the crisp shell shatters first, followed by the cream's gentle sweetness mingling with yakgwa's distinct sesame-oil aroma — the old sweet turned lighter and fresher through the addition of cream.
At both places, popular items can sell out early depending on opening hours and stock, so travelers set on a specific item would do well to check availability before heading over, to avoid a wasted trip. Around the Chuseok holiday (September 24-26), freshly made yakgwa can also be found in the hangwa (traditional confection) alleys of Seoul's markets, so even a brief stop to catch that first whiff is enough to feel the holiday mood.