The following are four of Korea.net's food recommendations at expressway rest stops as recommended by the Korea Expressway Corp. On the left is pork cutlet at Anseong Rest Area on the Gyeongbu Expressway and on the right is samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) with 20 medicinal ingredients at Geumsan Ginseng Land Rest Area on the Tongyeong Daejeon Expressway.

By Lee Dasom
Photos = Korea Expressway Corp.

▣ Seoul metropolitan area and Gangwon-do Province

Anseong Rest Area (toward Busan) on the Gyeongbu Expressway offers a pork cutlet showing the colors of nature. Sporting bread crumbs made from sea string, loquat, squid ink and seaweed fulvescens, this version shows four colors of nature -- red, yellow, black and green. In addition to being delicious and nutritious, it is a feast for the eyes.

If tired of traffic congestion, try makguksu, or cold buckwheat noodles with sweet and sour broth and vegetables. This dish features 100% pure buckwheat noodles in refreshing dongchimi (radish water kimchi) soup with a tasty sauce matured for 10 days at rest stops in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province, on the Yeongdong Expressway (Gangneung-Incheon), that in Wonju (Busan-Chuncheon) on the Jungang Expressway; and that by the Hongcheongang River on the latter expressway.

▣ Chungcheong-do provinces

Geumsan Ginseng Land Rest Area on the Tongyeong Daejeon Expressway (toward Daejeon) features samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) with 20 medicinal herbs. Good for stamina and nutrition, the dish is a welcome break for those exhausted after long hours of driving and restores their energy.

The spicy saengseon guksu (fish noodle) is a unique delicacy at Okcheon Rest Area (toward Busan or Seoul) and Hwanggan Rest Area (Busan and Seoul) on the Gyeongbu Expressway. This specialty of Okcheon, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, has a tasty catfish broth that masks the fishy odor through the use of mixed grains.

This bowl of spicy saengseon guksu (fish noodles) is available at Okcheon Rest Area (toward Busan or Seoul) and Hwanggan Rest Area (Busan or Seoul) on the Gyeongbu Expressway.

▣ Gyeongsang-do provinces

Feel like a simple snack rather than a full meal? Try gunmandu (fried dumplings) at Yeongcheon Rest Area (toward Daegu or Pohang) on the Saemangeum Pohang Expressway. The dumplings are from a famous gourmet restaurant in Yeongcheon-gun County, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

Another unique cuisine is dwaeji gukbap (pork and rice soup) served at Yangsan Rest Area (going to Seoul) and Tongdosa Rest Area (Busan) on the Gyeongbu Expressway. Unlike ordinary gukbap (rice soup) with a white broth, this dish has a light and clear broth and steamed rice or udong noodles can be added depending on preference.

▣ Jeolla-do provinces

Travelers to the Jeolla-do area cannot miss kkomak (blood cockles), a specialty of Beolgyo-eup Township in Boseong-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province. The dish kkomak bibimbap (mixed rice with vegetables and blood cockles) is available at Boseong Nokcha Rest Area on the Namhae Expressway with the cockles produced from the Beolgyo area. The cockles are rinsed with green tea and salt to remove the fishy odor, and one bite of the cockles mixed with fresh greens, rice and seasoning spreads the pleasant smell of the sea in the mouth.

The popular "buffet in a box" offers four of the most popular snack foods at expressway rest stops.

Buffet in box: snack collections at rest areas 

For snack lovers, rest areas offer a package of four popular snacks at affordable prices. The so-called buffet in a box can be purchased at Iseo Rest Area (both ways) on the Honam Expressway and Gunsan Rest Area (toward Seoul) on the Seohaean Expressway. Select the four desired snacks from among hodugwaja (walnut cake), tonggamja (roasted potato), churros, crispy fish fillet, tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), bite-sized corn dog, cheese sticks, popcorn chicken, sotteok sotteok (rice cake and sausage skewers), and fried chicken skin.

More information on gourmet cuisine at rest areas is available on the Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/koreaexpressway) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/koreaexpressway) pages of the Korea Expressway Corp. in Korean.