Sokcho Red Snow Crab: One of the Foods You Have to Try in Sokcho

If you are traveling to Sokcho, there is one food I really think you should try at least once:

red snow crab.

In Korean, we call it 홍게 (hongge).

🔊 Listen: 홍게

Sokcho is famous for seafood, and you will see crab restaurants everywhere when you travel around the city.

But there is one problem.

Crab can be really expensive.

If two people sit down at a crab restaurant and order a proper meal, it is very easy to spend around $70 or more.

For one meal!

I love crab, but honestly, paying that much every time hurts a little. 😂

So whenever I travel to Sokcho, I usually do something different.

I go to the traditional fish market, buy fresh crab directly from the seafood seller, have them steam it for me, and take it back to my hotel.

It is much cheaper, you can eat a huge amount of crab, and eating it comfortably in your hotel room is actually pretty fun.

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This time, I visited one of the places I have bought crab from before:

Daeyang Red Snow Crab (대양붉은대게) inside Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market.

And once again, I ate until I could barely move.

Let me show you. 🦀

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Where to Buy Red Snow Crab in Sokcho

The shop is located inside Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, one of the most famous traditional markets in Sokcho.

🔊 Listen: 속초

속초 (Sokcho)
Sokcho

The seafood section is on the basement level, so it is pretty easy to find.

Daeyang Red Snow Crab

📍 Address: 16 Jungang-ro 147beon-gil, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
📞 Phone: 033-635-1131
⏰ Hours: 10:00 AM–9:00 PM
🚗 Parking: Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market parking lot

Regular closing day: Second Wednesday of each month

Business hours and closing days can change, so it is a good idea to check before visiting.

If you come by car, just search for Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market on your navigation app.

After parking, look for the entrance to the underground seafood market.

Daeyang Red Snow Crab is Shop No. 153.

🔊 Listen: 수산시장

수산시장 (susansijang)
Fish market

Fresh Hongge for About $15 per Kilogram

The first thing I came here for was, of course, hongge.

What Is Hongge?

홍게 (hongge) means red snow crab.

🔊 Listen: 홍게

Unlike the much more expensive snow crab, hongge is one of the best options if you want to enjoy crab in Korea without spending a fortune.

At this shop, the red snow crab was about $15 per kilogram when I visited.

That is seriously cheap compared with eating crab at a restaurant.

The crabs were still moving around in the tank, so they looked really fresh.

The water also looked very clean, which immediately gave me a good impression of the shop.

I bought around 2 kg, so the crab itself came to roughly $29.

And the owner even gave me a little extra.

I always appreciate that. 😂

Another thing I liked was the weighing basket.

It had holes in it, so the water drained out before the crab was weighed.

That means you are actually paying for the crab instead of paying for a basket full of water.

Simple, but important!

I visited at around 8 PM, quite close to closing time, and most of the hongge had already been sold.

So if you really want a good selection, I would recommend coming earlier.

Snow Crab Is Also Available

Right next to the hongge section, they also sell snow crab.

🔊 Listen: 대게

대게 (daege)
Snow crab

The same owner operates both sections.

The snow crab prices depended on the size.

When I visited, they were approximately:

• Small/medium snow crab: about $44 per kg
• Larger snow crab: about $47 per kg
• Very large snow crab: about $55 per kg

The large ones were seriously huge.

Compared with hongge, the legs looked much thicker and meatier.

The crabs were also moving around a lot, and everything looked very fresh.

I didn’t buy snow crab this time because I came specifically for hongge.

But every time I look at those giant crabs, I think:

Next time.

😂

And Yes, They Have King Crab Too

They also had huge king crabs on the right side of the shop.

Those things are monsters.

Seriously.

Personally, though, I actually prefer the taste of hongge.

King crab is impressive and has a lot of meat, but hongge has that sweet, salty seafood flavor that I really love.

And considering the price difference?

Hongge wins for me.

They Steam the Crab for You

One of the best things about buying crab at the market is that you don’t need to cook it yourself.

After choosing your crab, the shop puts it into a large commercial steamer.

It takes around 15–20 minutes.

🔊 Listen: 포장

포장 (pojang)
Takeout / To go

When the crab is ready, they pack it tightly in multiple bags.

The owner told me this helps keep the heat, smell, and flavor inside.

And it definitely worked.

When I arrived back at my hotel, the crab was still hot.

If you park at the market, ask the shop about a parking discount ticket as well.

When I visited, I received one that I could use at the parking payment machine.

The Moment I Opened the Bag…

Back at the hotel, I finally opened the bag.

And instantly—

the entire room smelled like the ocean.

😂

Not in a bad way.

It was that delicious steamed-crab smell.

There was still steam coming from the crab even though I had already traveled back to the hotel.

I had around nine crabs in total.

Nine.

I was basically having my own private crab buffet.

This is exactly why I like buying Sokcho red snow crab from the market instead of eating it at a restaurant.

For around $29 worth of crab, I had enough food to eat until I was completely full.

Try doing that at a crab restaurant.

Look at How Much Meat Is Inside

I picked up one crab and started pulling the meat out of the legs.

The shell had a beautiful bright red-orange color, and the legs were surprisingly thick.

Then I pulled the meat out.

And…

look at this.

The inside was packed with meat.

Sweet.

Salty.

Juicy.

I genuinely understood why so many people eat crab when they visit Sokcho.

This is one of those foods that just feels right when you are next to the East Sea.

And Of Course… Soju

You have fresh Korean crab in front of you.

There is only one thing missing.

Soju.

🔊 Listen: 소주

소주 (soju)
Korean distilled alcoholic drink

Cold soju with hot steamed hongge?

That combination is dangerous. 😂

You keep eating crab, taking a sip, eating another leg…

and suddenly the entire pile is gone.

Don’t Throw Away the Crab Juice!

Now we get to one of my favorite parts.

When you eat the crab, save the crab juice and innards.

Because we are making ramen.

Hongge Ramen

🔊 Listen: 홍게라면

홍게라면 (hongge ramyeon)
Red snow crab ramen

I put one whole crab into a pot of ramen.

Then I added some of the crab juice and innards that I had saved earlier.

Just look at it.

There is basically no way this can taste bad.

The crab flavor gets absorbed into the soup, and the noodles become incredibly rich.

The broth was probably my favorite part.

Regular instant ramen is already good.

But ramen with fresh Sokcho crab broth?

Completely different level.

The crab innards made the broth richer, slightly creamy, salty, and packed with seafood flavor.

I honestly wanted another bowl even though I was already completely full.

Is Buying Crab at Sokcho Market Worth It?

For me, absolutely.

Buying Sokcho red snow crab at the market and taking it back to your accommodation is one of the easiest ways to enjoy a big seafood meal without spending restaurant prices.

Instead of paying around $70 or more for two people at a restaurant, I bought around 2 kg of hongge for roughly $29 when I visited.

Of course, seafood prices change depending on the season, size, supply, and market conditions.

So think of these prices as a reference rather than a guaranteed current price.

But the basic idea is still the same:

Buy it at the market → have them steam it → take it back to your hotel → enjoy your own Korean seafood feast.

A Sokcho Food Experience I Would Definitely Do Again

One of my favorite things about traveling in Korea is finding ways to eat like this.

You don’t always need a fancy restaurant.

Sometimes going downstairs into a traditional market, choosing seafood directly from the tank, watching it being prepared, and carrying a giant bag of steaming crab back to your hotel is much more memorable.

And much cheaper.

If you are planning a trip to Sokcho, I really recommend trying Sokcho red snow crab at least once.

Visit Sokcho Tourist & Fishery Market, walk around the seafood section, compare the crabs, check the prices, and pick the ones that look good to you.

Then grab some ramen and maybe a bottle of soju on your way back.

Your hotel dinner is ready. 🦀🍜

And if I go back to Sokcho?

I already know what I’m eating.