Most North Koreans eat a diet built around two grains: corn and rice. Corn actually outpaces rice as the primary staple, with the average person consuming roughly 80 kilograms of corn per year compared to 59 kilograms of milled rice. Potatoes, soybeans, and small amounts of wheat and barley fill out the rest. Beyond those basics, what ends up on someone’s plate varies enormously depending on where they live, how much money they have, and whether the country is experiencing one of its recurring food shortages.
Corn and Rice Form the Foundation
A USDA analysis of North Korean food consumption found that the average person’s annual grain intake breaks down to about 79.6 kg of corn, 59 kg of milled rice, 6.5 kg of wheat and barley, and smaller amounts of other grains, plus roughly 13 kg of potatoes and 12 kg of soybeans. That makes corn, not rice, the true staple for most of the population, even though rice is culturally preferred and considered the more desirable grain.
The price gap between the two grains tells the story. In early 2025, a kilogram of rice cost around 18,000 North Korean won at markets in Pyongyang, while a kilogram of corn cost about 4,800 won. Rice is nearly four times more expensive, which means poorer families eat corn porridge, corn noodles, and corn rice far more often than white rice. In rural areas, a meal of steamed corn with kimchi and a thin soup is standard.
Kimchi With Every Meal
Like in South Korea, kimchi accompanies virtually every meal. But North Korean kimchi looks and tastes noticeably different. It uses fewer chili peppers, giving it a lighter color and a milder, more sour flavor compared to the deep red, intensely spicy kimchi common in the South. North Korean varieties still rely on garlic, ginger, and sometimes fish sauce or shrimp paste, but the overall profile is subtler. Families across the country prepare large batches of kimchi in autumn, a tradition called kimjang, to last through the long, harsh winter.
Iconic Dishes
Pyongyang naengmyeon is probably the most famous North Korean dish. These cold noodles are made primarily from buckwheat flour and served in an icy broth of beef stock and dongchimi, a radish water kimchi. The noodles are long, slightly chewy, and traditionally eaten in winter, not summer. A different style, Hamhung naengmyeon, comes from the country’s northeast coast. Those noodles are made from potato or sweet potato starch, making them thinner and much chewier, and they’re tossed in a spicy red sauce rather than served in broth.
These dishes represent the idealized version of North Korean cuisine. In practice, most people eat far simpler food: rice or corn with soup, kimchi, and whatever pickled or seasonal vegetables are available. Tofu, when accessible, adds protein. Meat is rare for ordinary families and typically reserved for holidays or special occasions.
Street Food and Market Inventions
North Korea’s informal markets, known as jangmadang, have become essential sources of food since the famine of the 1990s. These markets sell prepared street foods alongside raw ingredients, and some of the most popular items were born out of scarcity.
Injo gogi bap, which translates to “rice with artificial meat,” is one of the most well-known examples. It’s made by wrapping steamed rice in a thin skin of leftover soybean paste, then dressing it with chili sauce. The soybean coating creates a texture that mimics meat. The dish was invented during the famine years of 1994 to 1998, when real meat was essentially unavailable, and it remains a common street food today.
What People Eat During Shortages
Food shortages are not a historical footnote in North Korea. The World Food Programme estimates that more than 40 percent of the population, roughly 10.7 million people, are undernourished. Nearly one in five children under age five shows signs of stunting from chronic malnutrition.
During the worst periods, people have stretched their food in desperate ways. Amnesty International documented North Koreans mixing ground corn with grass or pine tree bark to make a thin porridge. Others survived on foraged “wild foods,” including a wild grass called neung-jae found in fields, along with various roots and stalks. Pine bark in particular caused severe digestive problems but was eaten anyway to create a feeling of fullness. During the famine of the 1990s, the government actively encouraged citizens to forage for these substitute foods, promoting them as healthy and nutritious rather than acknowledging the crisis.
Drinks: Soju First, Beer Second
Soju, a clear distilled spirit, is the most popular alcoholic drink. Beer comes second, and the top brand is Taedonggang, a golden lager produced by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company and named after the river that runs through Pyongyang. Other domestic brands include Ryongsong, Ponghak, and Rakwon (meaning “Paradise”).
For rural North Koreans who can’t access commercial brands, homemade brewing fills the gap. One defector described making a rough beer from corn flour and hops that came out “a weird milky color” but was at least fizzy. This kind of improvisation with whatever ingredients are on hand reflects daily life for much of the population.
The Gap Between Pyongyang and Everywhere Else
What North Koreans eat depends heavily on social class and geography. Pyongyang residents, especially those connected to the political elite, have access to restaurants, imported goods, and a wider variety of proteins including pork, chicken, and seafood. The capital has dedicated naengmyeon restaurants, barbecue spots, and even a brewery pub associated with Taedonggang.
Outside Pyongyang, the picture changes sharply. Rural families depend on what they can grow, trade for at local markets, or forage. Their diet centers on corn, cabbage kimchi, soybean paste soup, and whatever seasonal vegetables their small private plots produce. Rice appears on the table less frequently, and animal protein might show up a few times a month at best. The price data from markets in border cities like Sinuiju shows rice and corn prices roughly comparable to Pyongyang, but average incomes outside the capital are significantly lower, making even basic grains harder to afford consistently.