계란말이 Gyeranmari
A thick omelet rolled in layers with chopped vegetables, sliced and served as a side dish.
Spice: Not spicy
Jeon (pancakes)
빈대떡 Bindaetteok
A thick, crisp pancake of ground mung beans, often with pork and kimchi, eaten with a dipping sauce.
- Mung Bean Pancake
- Spice: Not spicy
- Contains pork
- Contains seafood
At a glance
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Ground mung beans, pork, kimchi, bean sprouts |
| How it's served | Hot from the griddle on a plate, with a soy dipping sauce |
| Spice level | Not spicy — No chili heat. |
| Diet | Contains pork · Contains seafood — Pork is a standard ingredient. Fish, shellfish, fish sauce, salted seafood (jeotgal) or anchovy stock is a standard ingredient. |
| Allergens | Soy · Wheat · Fish · Crustacean shellfish |
| Ask about | Some are made with vegetables only; batters may include wheat flour, and dipping sauces vary. |
| On the menu | 빈대떡 (Bindaetteok) |
| Also called | bindaeddeok · bindae tteok · nokdujeon · mung bean fritter |
| Region | Nationwide |
Based on the usual recipe. Restaurants vary, so always tell the staff.
How to eat Mung Bean Pancake
Cut it into pieces
Pull it apart with chopsticks, or ask for scissors if it is thick.
Dip it in the sauce
Dip each piece in the soy sauce. Some places add sliced onions to it.
Eat it while hot
The outside is crisp when fresh and softens as it cools.
How to order it
Order it as 빈대떡. Market stalls sell it by the piece, so one person can order it, and groups share.
- On the menu: 빈대떡
- Usually sold: 1 pancake
Where it comes from
It was also called binjatteok. One theory says it began as a base for stacked fried meat on ancestral rite and banquet tables. Old cookbooks describe mung bean batter filled with sweet red bean paste.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (encykorea.aks.ac.kr)
Similar dishes
김치전 Kimchijeon
A thin pancake of chopped kimchi in wheat batter, pan-fried and shared at the table.
Spice: Mild
Questions about Mung Bean Pancake
Is bindaetteok vegetarian?
Usually not. Standard versions mix in pork, and the kimchi often contains fish sauce or salted shrimp. Some are made with vegetables only, so ask the staff.
How spicy is bindaetteok?
Not spicy. It tastes nutty from the mung beans, the small amount of chopped kimchi adds tang rather than heat, and the dipping sauce is soy-based.
Is bindaetteok the same as nokdujeon?
Yes. Both names are used for the same mung bean pancake.
- By Jason Kim (Bumsoo)
- Last reviewed October 29, 2026