Ohwadang Gaeseong Juak: A Korean Dessert Bringing Yuzu Flavor to Gyeongdong Market

Ohwadang Gaeseong juak is a small but telling example of how a traditional Korean dessert can feel fresh without losing its roots. Based in the Youth Mall on the third floor of Gyeongdong Market’s new building in Seoul, Ohwadang has drawn attention for adapting classic han-gwa flavors into approachable treats such as yuzu juak and heart-shaped juak.¹

At the center of the story is Gaeseong juak, a sweet rice-based snack associated with the Gaeseong region during the Goryeo period. It is traditionally made by frying glutinous rice dough in oil and soaking it in grain syrup, giving it the crisp-outside, moist-inside texture that has helped it appeal to younger dessert fans.²

Ohwadang Gaeseong Juak and Its Yuzu Twist

Ohwadang’s version stands out because it does not simply reproduce a traditional recipe as a museum piece. Sisa Journal reported that the shop removed cinnamon from traditional Gaeseong juak and introduced yuzu instead, creating a brighter flavor profile while keeping the dessert within the familiar world of Korean sweets.³

That detail matters because yuzu is not just a novelty ingredient here. It gives readers a useful way to understand Ohwadang’s appeal: the brand is working with the memory of old-style han-gwa, but presenting it in a way that feels easier to approach for people who may know more about cafe desserts than traditional market snacks. On the Seoul Gourmet Week page, both Ohwadang yuzu juak and heart juak are listed at 2,500 won each, making them easy to imagine as small, individual treats rather than formal ceremonial sweets.¹

The broader menu also helps place the juak in context. Platum introduced Ohwadang as a startup that manufactures and sells premium Korean desserts, with products including yakgwa, yuzu juak, dried persimmon walnut rolls, oranda, and han-gwa gift sets through online channels such as Smart Store and its offline shop at Gyeongdong Market.⁴ In other words, Gaeseong juak is not presented as a one-off trend item, but as part of a wider lineup built around Korean confectionery.

From Youth Mall Shop to Premium Korean Dessert Brand

Ohwadang is also tied closely to the setting of Gyeongdong Market Youth Mall, known as Seoul Family. Sisa Journal described the shop as a Korean dessert store created by three young people who graduated from a culinary high school, with Cheon Beom-jun serving as the representative. The shop entered the Youth Mall in November 2022.³

That background gives the brand a different feeling from a long-established market stall. It is young, food-focused, and built inside a traditional market environment that has been trying to attract new visitors. The Youth Mall itself opened in August 2019, and Donga Ilbo reported in December 2023 that 18 stores were operating there, with two more preparing to move in. The mall included Korean, Chinese, Japanese, dessert, and other food and viewing options, and the Gyeongdong 1960 night market had been operating since November 2023.⁵

Cheon’s own comments, as reported by Sisa Journal, show how practical the brand’s direction was. He said, “After taking advice from friends, we decided on items specializing in han-gwa such as yakgwa.”³ That short quote helps explain why Ohwadang’s menu feels focused: it is not trying to sell every possible dessert, but to build a recognizable identity around Korean sweets.

Platum also reported that Ohwadang was carrying out CNTTech’s Youth Cook support program.⁴ In the Sisa Journal interview, Cheon said the program was “a great help.”³ Those details are not just business background; they show how the shop sits at the intersection of youth entrepreneurship, traditional markets, and renewed interest in Korean dessert culture.

Why Gaeseong Juak Feels Current Again

Gaeseong juak’s renewed appeal makes Ohwadang’s focus easier to understand. Sports Chosun described the snack as popular among people in their 20s and 30s, and cited an online food seller case in which Chuseok sales doubled compared with the previous month.² The article’s description of the texture also explains why it works well in the modern dessert world: it has the kind of contrast many people already enjoy in pastries, doughnuts, and fried sweets, while carrying a distinctly Korean identity.

At the same time, the sources do not present Gaeseong juak as an everyday health food. Sports Chosun included a cautionary comment from director Lee Nam-woo, who said that the trend of rediscovering traditional snacks is interesting, but managing calories when eating them is an important habit regardless of the era.² That is a sensible way to approach Ohwadang’s juak, too: as a treat to enjoy thoughtfully, not as something that needs to be exaggerated into more than it is.

For visitors, the practical details are straightforward. The Seoul Gourmet Week page lists Ohwadang as a participating traditional market shop located in the Youth Mall on the third floor of Gyeongdong Market’s new building, with operating hours from 11:00 to 19:30 and a regular closing day every Tuesday.¹ Because business details can change, those listed hours are best understood as the information available from that source, rather than a guarantee for every future visit.

Ohwadang Gaeseong juak is interesting because it does not ask you to choose between tradition and a modern dessert mood. With yuzu juak, heart juak, yakgwa, and other han-gwa products, Ohwadang shows how a Korean dessert can stay connected to older flavors while fitting naturally into the way people discover, buy, and share sweets now.

작성자 소개

joanna jang

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