Kyeranpbang: Egg Bread

This is a Korean street food I tried a few nights ago with my room mate, Yu Cheon, when we went to Eunpa lake to see the cherry blossoms and to try out his newly fixed scooter. It's called Kyeranpbang (게란빵) – or Egg bread. It's a traditional Korean delicacy and is usually sold in the streets in cold weather along with the other street food like boiled silkworm pupae. One can only try this in Korea during winter or spring and if you're lucky enough, some of your Korean friends might let you try this when you visit their homes.

Kyeranpbang - Egg Bread

Boiled Silkworm Pupae, a Korean traditional street food

It might taste very familiar especially if you've been to the Philippines and have already tried out some of their traditional delicacies like puto or mamon. Kyeranpbang is only a bit harder and it has this hard-boiled egg in the center.

Take the sweet-salty taste of puto and the texture of mamon and you'll get the taste of this Korean street bread. Combine that with the powdery texture of the hard-boiled egg in the center and you get the perfect street food for a cold Korean spring or winter evening. It can be considered as a light snack and is best served with coffee. The ones I tried were a bit cold since it was already late in the evening when we went to the lake. But having them when they’re fresh from the oven should taste heavenly!

Too bad I wasn’t able to bring cash. I only had a few coins in my pocket because I wasn't expecting to go on a food trip that night. Yu Cheon only bought one for each of us but it was enough to make me say that it is a must for me to go back for more of this egg bread before the season ended.

After I was finished with this delicacy, I went back to the ajumma's stand to take pictures of her delicious treat. She was sweet and kind enough to pose for a picture. This was a very big accomplishment for me! It was my first time to ask a Korean – a stranger – to pose for a picture! I was so happy when she smiled (that, I didn't expect) as she held up that famous peace sign.

If you're ever wondering how to make this at home, here is a simple recipe along with the steps to make this delicious treat:

http://www.kfoodaddict.com/korean-style-egg-bread-gaeran-bbang/