Hotteok

Hotteok is a yeasted pancake pan-fried until the outside crisps, hiding a molten pool of brown sugar and cinnamon inside. It is Korea's answer to a winter street snack, sold from carts with steam rising off the griddle in the cold.

What it really is

A soft, yeasted dough rests until it puffs slightly, then wraps around a spoonful of brown sugar mixed with cinnamon and sometimes crushed nuts, sealed shut and flattened on a hot, well-oiled griddle. The pressing is what does the work — flattening the filled dough spreads the sugar out into a thin, even layer that melts completely by the time the outside turns golden and crisp, rather than staying a solid lump in the centre.

Flattening hard is not optional. A hotteok left thick keeps its sugar filling solid and unevenly distributed; pressing it firm on the griddle is what melts the sugar into the syrupy pool the pancake is known for.

How it is served

• Hot off the griddle, often handed over in a small paper cup to catch drips.
• Whole, eaten by hand while it's still warm.
• As a street snack, most popular in colder months.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the wheat in the dough.
• Warn that the filling is served molten hot, since it burns far more easily than the pancake's outside suggests.
• Say if nuts are included in the filling, since seeds are a common but not universal addition.