Bungeoppang

붕어빵

Bungeoppang (lit. “crucian carp cake/bread”) is the Korean name of Taiyaki, which was first baked by a sweet shop Naniwaya in Azabu, Tokyo, Japan, in 1909.

Bungeoppangs are made using an appliance similar to a waffle iron. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold, red bean paste is added, then more batter to encase the red bean paste. The mold is then closed, and roasted.

In Korean, bung'eo (붕어) means Carassius, a kind of fish, and ppang (빵) means bread.

Bungeoppang is sold as a snack by open-air food vendors throughout Korea during winter. In 2009, one U.S. dollar could purchase four or five bungeoppangs, depending on the location.

There are also bungeoppang-shaped waffles filled with ice cream and pat (sweetened and boiled red beans or azuki beans). These waffles are usually mass produced and sold by retailers, not by open-air food vendors.

Similar variations also exist:

국화빵

계란빵

• Gukhwappang (국화빵, “chrysanthemum cake”) is essentially identical tobungeoppang, only it is a flower-shaped pastry.
• gyeranppang (계란빵, lit. “chicken egg cake”) is filled with egg and it has a shape of rounded rectangle.

국화빵  ice cream