On the southern side of Jeju Island, lies the Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market (서귀포매일올레시장). Though not as large and flashy as the Dongmun Market, I certainly wouldn’t just write it off. This market has been around since the early ’60s and personally, we have found it to have more of those traditional market vibes we love. You can tell it’s a place where locals go to shop and it just happens to have some of those touristy stalls sprinkled in there.
Best of all, this is the only place we’ve been to where you can try a wide variety of tangerine, hallabong and black pork snacks all in one place. Jeju Island is known for its sweet tangerine, tangy hallabong and savory black pork so we always prioritize these snacks whenever we visit.
Tangerine, Hallabong & Black Pork… Oh My!
One of the most popular stalls in the market makes these Tangerine Hotteok (귤호떡) that are absolutely to die for! There’s always a line of people waiting to buy them (sometimes by the bag-full), but it’s always worth the wait. The pancakes are lightly crisped on the outside with a sweet filling of honey, tangerine preserves and nuts on the inside. Sweet and tangy perfection.
A family favorite would have to be the Tangerine Hareubang Bread (귤하르빵). These adorably shaped snacks are super popular on the island and you can actually find them in a lot of different places, but it is more likely to get them fresh at a market with lots of foot traffic. When they’re fresh, the outside is crispy, the inside is soft and the filling is warm and gooey. They’re super addictive and we always go through a few bags when we visit. They also go really great with a bottle of refreshing tangerine juice.
On our most recent visit we tried some Tangerine Mochi (감귤모찌) for the first time. They are insanely soft and chewy with just the right amount of sweetness from the combination of red bean and tangerine. They are made fresh daily and tend to run out quickly, so definitely grab a pack if you see it. The Hallabong Softserve (한라봉 아이스크림) was also a first for us. It was creamy, tangy and came with a delicious hallabong chip on top.
Buns are also an absolute must at this market! For something sweet, we recommend the Tangerine Steamed Bread (귤찐빵). These cute steamed buns are shaped like tangerines but filled with hallabong flavored red bean. They’re light and fluffy, but dense and filling. Or for something savory opt for the Hallasan Black Pork Dumplings (한라산 흑돼지 만두), which are lightly crisped on the outside and filled with mouth watering seasoned black pork. On that note, we also recommend the Black Pork Cutlet Roll (흑돼지 고사리 롤카츠). It’s super crispy, savory and incredibly filling. It tastes best when eaten right away, but you should definitely pace yourself if you want to eat other things at the market.
Shopping for Trinkets
Aside from food, there are of course various souvenir stores peppered in between stalls. You can find a lot of the same items that Dongmun Market had here, however, since Dongmun Market is significantly larger there is a wider variety of items there. But if you’re just looking for some popular tangerine inspired hats, trinkets or chocolates you will have no trouble finding them here.
If you’re going to be shopping for Jeju chocolates, make sure you do so at either Dongmun Market or Seogwipo Market. There are lots of other markets on the island, but the shops at the markets give the best prices and offer freebies if you spend over 50,000 KRW. Personally, we do all our chocolate shopping at a shop near the main entrance of the market. We’ve been to a few others, but they tend to give the most freebies.
Olle Night Market
Shops around the market typically begin closing around 5:00pm, but don’t let that chase you away just yet because that’s when the Olle Night Market opens. Like the Dongmun Market, Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market also has it’s own night market and it’s the only one in Seogwipo.
The night market is a modest but delicious collection of around 20 food vendors cooking up everything from grilled eel and king crab to black pork steak and black pork yakisoba. The night market is a completely different feel from the traditional market because everything takes on more of a dinner-and-a-show vibe.
Where is Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market?
While the market is opened year-round, the hours do tend to change according to season. In the summer it is open from 07:00am ~ 09:00pm and in the winter 07:00am ~ 08:00pm. So, if you want a true taste of Jeju Island, definitely be sure to add this market to your itinerary.
Address:
- 제주 서귀포시 서귀동 340 – Naver Map
- 18, Jungang-ro 62beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do – Google Maps
