So quite a few foodie bloggers have posted about this already but I have only just discovered it thanks to my wonderful friend Susan. We took a trip there yesterday and found ourselves in bakers paradise. I have been to Dongdaemun many times but have never come across this bakers’ delight. It’s tucked down a series of alleyways housing stores filled with everything you could want or need for baking.
Sadly we chose to go the weekend before peppero day (not advised) and every store was jam packed with excited korean ladies buying all their supplies to make their own peppero. However come here any other time of year and you will be able to browse the stores with ease.
So, as I mentioned before, there are tonnes of different store selling lots of different things. Getting decent chocolate to cook and make desserts with is somewhat tricky in korea. In the past I have always opted for tesco finest brand found at homeplus as its what I’m familiar with in England. However one trip to the baking mart and I have bags and bags of belgian chocolate all for the purpose of baking and cooking.
Food coloring can also be a little b tricky to find. I’ve picked up red at the foreign food mart in Itaewon to make my red velvet cake but they are a little short on other colors. At bangsan you have a rainbow at your disposal in a multitude of forms, liquid, gel, paste and sugar crystals.
They also stock all those pesky ingredients you just cant seam to find, corn starch/ corn flour , cream of tartar, dutch cocoa powder, canned fruit for american style pies (I’m talking to you Colleen) and all those flavored syrups.
As well as providing you with all the ingredients you need to make your cakes they also provide the decorations. From sprinkles to go on top, cupcake cases, wrappers, ribbons and even boxes to put them in after. If they don’t have what you want here then it probably doesn’t exist.
Last but not least they have all the baking equipment you could want and more. Rows upon rows of different cake tins, cookie cutters, bowls, whisks, and cake nozzles. I finally found the 1M wilton tip I have been longing for at a mere 500 won. Now my cupcakes will be topped with those beautiful roses I have always dreamed of creating. They also have mixers, ovens and every other kind of gadget you could possibly need.
To get to bangsan market come out of Jongno 5 ga(Line1) exit 7 and walk straight. Walk over the bridge going over the river and you will see the Bangsan enterance gate in my first picture. Walk through the gate and the baking shops will start on your left. As you keep walking you will reach an alleyway which is filled to the brim with stores selling everything you could want and more. There are also more stores on the other side of the alley. Happy baking!