Detail

Korea Post established Philately Week in 1973 to celebrate Korea’s philatelic development and promote the collection and study of stamps. This year, Philately Week is held from September 22 to October 20 with the Korea Philatelic Exhibition as its highlight. Celebrating this year’s Philately Week, Korea Post is issuing the commemorative stamp series Philately Week to mark the global popularity of Korean street food. Dalgona is a popular Korean street confectionery made by caramelizing sugar and mixing with baking soda. Its name derives from the Korean expression of “sweeter than sugar.” Its ingredients and shape have changed over time from a cubic candy made with glucose to a flat circular shape made with sugar. Sugar was perhaps the major turning point for its evolution in the mid-1960s when sugar became readily available and the so-called “seoltang ppopgi” variation became synonymous with “dalgona.” Seoltang ppopgi, literally “sugar poking,” was not only a confection, but also an exciting game of poking out various stamped patterns. With its caramel flavor created by mixing melted sugar with baking soda and the fun of poking out patterns, dalgona fast grew into one of the most popular street foods in Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly among children and teenagers. Recently, it gained global fame as a popular Korean street food through the Korean drama. Dalgona is sold at tourist attractions as a nostalgic snack, and even as packaged products on online stores and supermarkets. Ssiat hotteok is another popular Korean street food made by pressing a ball of dough filled an assortment of candied nuts on a greased griddle into a flat, circular form. Hotteok was first introduced to Korea by Chinese immigrants at the end of the 19th century. Thereafter, hotteok became localized by adding honey, grain syrup, brown sugar and other sweet fillings to suit the Korean palate. Korean hotteok is characterized as a pancake that is pressed flat on a greased griddle until crispy, almost as if deep fried, while maintaining a chewy texture. Ssiat hotteok is a variation made with sweetened peanuts, raisin, sunflower seeds and other nuts or seeds. It typically measures 9 to 10 centimeters wide, and it first appeared on the streets of Nampo-dong in Busan in the 1980s. The crunchy texture and palatable taste of the fillings made it an instant hit, helping it spread to other attraction sites across Busan, including Haeundae. Ssiat hotteok has since then grown into one of the most popular local delicacies of the city. The commemorative stamp series issued to mark this year’s Philately Week features a dalgona pressed with a star and ssiat hotteok filled with sweetened of nuts and seeds. We hope this commemorative stamp series serves as an opportunity to see the charms of Korean street food varieties.