Historic Jjinppang (Steamed Bun) Venues of Jeonju

When it gets really cold, it’s the jjinppang (steamed bun with sweet red bean paste fillings) season. They can be bought in convenience stores and heated using a microwave, but the fresh hot jjinppang from a specialized jjinppang venues must be so much better. This week, I visited two such venues, long-time famous, in Jeonju for jjinppang.

Baekilhong Jjinppang Mandu

Baekilhong Jjinppang Mandu is a historic 85-year-old jjinppang venue located near the Jeonju City Hall. The façade of the venue testifies to its history.

The venue is also famous for mandu (steamed dumpling). But I ordered jjinppang for one person (8 buns), since I wasn’t sure if I could finish everything. Watching the owners’ skillful hands making jjinppang and mandu made me hungrier.

The three owners are photographed together in a 20-year-old newspaper article. The old-style sticker for ordering delivery shows that this venue is very old.

The jjinppang and mandu are very popular that all the ingredients are often run out before the end of the day. I recommend calling before visiting.

It didn’t take too long for the warm fresh jjinppang to arrive in my hand. I couldn’t wait until I got home and had a bite.

I could finish the jjinppang in two bites. The bun was filled with enough sweet red bean paste. The warmth and sweetness made me forget about the cold weather.

Baekilhong Jjinppang Mandu
Address: Hyeonmu 2gil 67, Wansangu, Jeonju
Contact: 063-286-3697
Price: Both jjinppand and mandu for one consist of 8 buns, 4,000 won
What’s special: sweetness, thin skin of the bun, 85-year-old history

Yetnal Sigol Jjinppang

Next, I headed to Seosindong district to visit Yetnal Sigol Jjinppang. This venue is also very old – opened in 1960.

Again, I ordered jjinppang for one person. The high piles of the boxes inside the shop were attesting to the popularity of this place. The jjinppang here is bigger than other jjinppang venues. Also, this venue had the jjinppang with cheese and vegetable fillings. I’ll try it next time I visit here.

Some grandmas were making the jjinppang skin and the other grandmas were filling the jinppang skin. We had a pleasant talk while I took pictures of the venue.

My jjinppangs are ready! I took them home because I was rather full.

It was still warm although it took me a while to get home. There were good enough fillings. I loved the sweet flavor of the red bean paste filling and the soft and chewy texture of the jjinppang skin.

Yetnal Sigol Jjinppang
Address: Gosapyung 2gil 1, Wansangu, Jeonju
Contact: 063-271-4242
Price: jjinppang for one person (3 buns) 2,500 won; jjinppang 1 box 9,000 won
What’s special: good enough for one-person, tasty jjinppang skin, jjinppang with cheese and vegetable filling, 60-year-old history.