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Published 06/10/2021 Updated 03/14/2024
Have you ever tried cooking with Korean sweet potatoes? If not, you are missing out! Not only is a Korean sweet potato jam-packed full of healthy nutrients, but it also tastes delicious. This recipe is incredibly simple and basic. Therefore, you can easily make this at home for dinner or a snack!
What Is a Korean Sweet Potato?
The word ‘goguma’ (고구마) refers to a sweet potato in the Korean language. In South Korea, there are five popular types of sweet potato:
- Purple Sweet Potatoes (Jeok Goguma 적고구마): The purple sweet potato is often used in sweet desserts. The purple flesh of the potatoes makes the desserts a beautiful purple pastel.
- Chestnut Sweet Potatoes (Bam Goguma 밤고구마): These sweet potatoes have a yellow interior and taste similar to chestnuts. Not only do they taste similar, but they also have a drier, denser texture which makes them similar as well.
- Pumpkin Sweet Potatoes (Hobak Goguma 호박고구마): These sweet potatoes have orange flesh. Unlike the chestnut sweet potato, these have a juicier texture.
- Honey Sweet Potatoes (Kkul Goguma 꿀고구마): This type of sweet potato has a deep yellow interior. They taste extremely sweet and have a moist texture.
- Water Sweet Potato (Mul Goguma 물고구마): This variety has a moisture content compared to the chestnut sweet potatoes. While they also have reddish, purple skin with golden yellow flesh, they tend to be thin and long compared to the chestnut sweet potato variety.
All of these sweet potatoes taste extremely delicious! The most famous type of Korean sweet potato outside of South Korea is probably the chestnut variety. You can learn more about Korean sweet potatoes in my ingredient article on the subject.
Korean Sweet Potato Facts:
In South Korea, people love to roast and bake these different potatoes. Below are some interesting facts about sweet potatoes in Korea.
- During the winter months, roasted sweet potatoes are a popular street snack! Often, street vendors roast the potatoes over an open flame or in a special drum canister made especially to cook them! You will come across these vendors at different street corners around Seoul and other major cities.
- Sweet potatoes are often considered ‘diet food’ in South Korea. Not only will they fill you up, but have lots of nutrition. If you like Korean pop culture, you will know that sweet potato diets are popular among actors and idols.
- Sweet potatoes are often used as an ingredient in Korean skincare products. So, if you enjoy Korean beauty products, you can eat your sweet potato and put sweet potato lotion on your skin as well!
Baked Korean Sweet Potato Tips & Tricks:
Here, I list some helpful tips & tricks to help you make this incredibly easy baked Korean sweet potato recipe. If you have any questions, leave a comment below or email me at [email protected]! I hope these tips help!
- You can eat sweet potato skins! I recommend washing them thoroughly before cooking them. That way, you can eat the skin as well! The skin is full of super healthy nutrients.
- You can bake Korean sweet potatoes with or without tin foil. If you bake them with tin foil, the skins will be softer. Without the tinfoil, they will be directly exposed to the heat making the skin crunchier.
- When baking or roasting sweet potatoes at home, people in Korea often eat them with kimchi or with some salt and pepper! I also enjoy eating these with some butter as well to make the potatoes extra creamy.
Korean Sweet Potato Frequently Asked Questions:
Now that we learned about some tips & tricks, I want to answer some questions you may have about this recipe! If I do not answer your question, feel free to leave a comment in the section below or email me at [email protected].
Korean Sweet Potato vs Japanese Sweet Potato: Are They Different?
In many grocery stores, you will see sweet potatoes labeled as ‘Japanese sweet potatoes.’ This sweet potato variety is also widely consumed in South Korea. I already mentioned it once above, but the Japanese variety of sweet potato is the same as the Korean variety known as ‘bam goguma’ (밤고구마). Once again, we can translate this to ‘chestnut sweet potato.’
So, when you buy a Japanese sweet potato in the grocery store, you are also buying a Korean sweet potato!
Does This Recipe Contain Major Allergens? (Gluten, Soy, Etc.)
Before listing all of the major allergens, I want to state that all of my recipes are naturally gluten-free. On this blog, I only use and recommend gluten-free ingredients and brands. That being said, I list gluten as a potential allergen when necessary– this is because many Korean ingredients (such as soy sauce, gochujang, and doenjang) contain gluten unless you specifically buy gluten-free versions. Not only is this true for gluten, but it is true for other major allergens as well. As such, I always list allergy substitutions in the next section of my post.
This recipe does not contain 9 of the 9 major allergens. It does not contain:
- Peanuts
- Fish
- Crustacean Shellfish
- Eggs
- Milk (Dairy)
- Sesame
- Tree Nuts
- Wheat (Gluten)
- Soybean
This recipe does contain 0 of the 9 major allergens.
Is This Recipe Vegetarian or Vegan?
Excitingly, this recipe is naturally vegetarian and vegan!
If you buy kimchi to eat with your sweet potatoes, make sure to buy a vegetarian or vegan version. Many brands of kimchi contain fish and/or shellfish.
Where Can I Buy Korean Sweet Potatoes?
While you can buy ‘bam goguma’ (chestnut sweet potatoes) at Whole Foods throughout the United States, you cannot buy other varieties of Korean sweet potatoes in your local well-stocked grocery store. Instead, I recommend going to a Korean or Asian grocery store.
How Should I Store Leftover Baked Sweet Potatoes?
If you bake too many sweet potatoes, it is easy to store them in the refrigerator! To store them, place the sweet potatoes in an airtight container and eat them within a few days. Typically, I peel the potatoes before placing them in the refrigerator. That being said, you can also just place them into the fridge with the skin still intact.
What Should I Do With the Leftover Sweet Potatoes?
Typically, I reheat the potatoes in the microwave. If you want some recipe ideas, I recommend making twice-baked potatoes, sweet potato waffles, or sweet potato muffins! You can also make my Korean sweet potato latte! There are a lot of delicious recommendations online for leftover sweet potato recipes!
I Hope You Enjoyed Learning How to Bake a Korean Sweet Potato (Goguma)!
In the end, I hope you enjoyed learning how to bake a Korean sweet potato. If so, let me know in the comment section!
If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find recipes as well as further Korean ingredient articles on my blog. I listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by my family’s blended Korean and Southern heritage.
Further Carving A Journey Recipes:
- Korean Pancake Sauce Recipe (Cho Ganjang)
- Korean Potato Pancakes (Gamja Jeon)
- Korean Pickled Perilla Leaves (Kkaennip Jangajji)
- Korean Perilla Pesto (Korean-Italian Fusion)
If you have any questions or comments, you can also email me at [email protected], finally, I would love to hear from you through our social media as well! You can follow me at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. I also started a vlog YouTube channel with my husband! Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to the blog by joining the mailing list. Let me know if you try baking Korean sweet potatoes (goguma)! Thank you so much for stopping by!
How to Perfectly Bake a Korean Sweet Potato
1
servings5
minutes1
hourIngredients
1 Korean Sweet Potato
Optional Toppings: Kimchi, Salt, Butter, Etc.
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F/220°C. While the oven preheats, wash your Korean sweet potato. Then, poke holes in the sweet potato to create vents for moisture and steam. You only need 2-3 punctures on each side. Optional Step: Using tin foil, wrap your sweet potato.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes.
- Once soft, remove them from the oven. Serve right away or let them cool and eat at a later time.
- Serve with butter, butter alternative, kimchi, salt, or any other toppings you prefer.
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