Sneaky snack time: The 10 best Korean snacks of all time

Are you lost between the shelves of your local GS25 with no clue what snack to buy? Don’t worry, here are the 8 best Korean snacks to try…

A move to Korea will include three certainties: a cultural experience like no other, a gorgeous backdrop of antique palaces and rolling mountains, and a continuously happy belly. If it’s this last point that makes you cheer with delight, you’ll be happy to know that Korea has many delicious and unique flavours to try. You can experience all sorts of meals from hearty dinners of samgyeopsal to more comforting foods like kimchi jjigae. And if you need more recommendations, check out this post. But sometimes you don’t want a full-blown meal. So, you stroll into your local convenience store to satiate your snackish mood. However, the rows and rows of food to try overwhelms you. And, damn, do you want to try them all. Where to start…? Right here! Here are the 10 best Korean snacks that you should try while you’re in town. For those of you with a sweet tooth, there are five sugary delights, and for those who love munching on crisps and crackers, I’ve included five savoury bites. So ready to feast your eyes?

Sweet snacks

1. Peeling Mango Jellies

If you’re a fan of candies like Starburst or Haribo but want some novelty in your snacking ventures, Peeling Mango Jellies are for you. Instead of ripping off boring inedible packaging, an edible jelly mango skin encases these sweets. First off, this nifty idea gives the interior and exterior of the candy different textures to keep you entertained. Secondly, this snack comes individually wrapped (in inedible wrappers). You can avoid a sticky mess when eating the packet over time. This means you can easily share them with all your friends. The mango flavour is incredibly sweet and refreshing, so it’s a great snack to hand around in the summer months. Lastly, if you’re not keen on mangos, you can try other flavours like peach. And you have to admit – the name Peeling Peach Jelly has a ring to it.

2. Pokémon Bread

You might struggle to find a plain ciabatta or a French baguette from time to time while you’re in Korea. Yet you’ll never be short of options for sweetened bread. Milk bbang and custard rolls overwhelm the display cases in the bakeries and cafes. And the convenience stores are no different in this regard. If you’re looking for the crème de la crème of all the bread available for snacking on, look no further than Pokémon bread. Not only can you choose from a range of flavours, such as chocolate or cheesecake, but a different Pokémon hides inside each of these variations. So cute! When opening this snack, you’ll be rewarded with both delicious bread and a cute Pokémon sticker. You might have to fight off some elementary school kids to get hold of this coveted snack. However, it’ll be worth it for a taste of retro nostalgia. So pick up Pokémon bread if you want to remember your time in Korea with both a delicious bite and an adorable collectible stickers.

3. Pepero

If a snack has a whole day dedicated to it, it definitely deserves a taste test in my books. But don’t worry, you don’t have to wait until the 11th of November for a try of Pepero. This is a year-round snacking delight. Dubbed as my favourite movie snack, these chocolate-covered sticks come in a range of flavours. My favourite is the Oreo Pepero. This combines the saltiness of Pepero with the sweetness of Oreos perfectly and has a wonderful soft snap when you bite into it. As well as this flavour, there are other variations to try like strawberry, almond and simple milk chocolate. Pepero is both a great snack and a brilliant filler gift for celebrations. Whack a box of these into a birthday gift bag and your friend will be nothing but pleasantly surprised. This snack is such a popular present that you’ll often see stores selling Pepero on nationwide celebrations like Valentine’s Day, White Day and Christmas.

4. Ghana chocolate

I come from the land of Cadbury chocolate, so Korea had pretty big boots to fill in the chocolate bar department. The confectionery-shaped void left by leaving the UK was filled with none other than Lotte’s Ghana Chocolate. You can purchase the three classic flavours – milk, dark and white chocolate – making this a very useful snack in baking as well as a delightful food to munch on by itself. I like the bite-sized pieces in a Ghana bar, which I find smaller than the dense Cadbury pieces. When breaking apart this slab of choco, listen out for the satisfying snap of the rows of sweet squares breaking apart. Many shops also often stock Ghana almond bars (similar to a Mars bar). If your biggest worry about moving to Korea is being away from all your favourite chocolate, fear no more – Lotte’s Ghana Chocolate has you covered. 

5. Yakgwa

Don’t get too distracted by all the pizazz of the snacks listed above with their gimmicks like edible peels and collectible stickers. Korea also has some good old-fashioned traditional snacks to enjoy. Why not try yakgwa, a carefully baked honey-flavoured cookie. This snack is a feast for the belly and the eyes with its beautiful shape and crimped-edge design, making the whole bite look like a little flower. As well as the appearance, I really love the texture of yakgwa – the perfect amount of chewy! If you’ve never seen this honey cookie in person you’re likely to have spotted it in a period K-drama where it is often enjoyed by aristocrats from a thousand years ago. You can really feel like a princess eating these treats. Go to your local convenience store or Daiso, pick up a packet of mini yakgwa and try a couple with your cuppa’. I promise it’ll elevate your four o’clock tea time experience.

Savoury snacks 

6. Orion Poca crisps

Cravings can hit at any time and sometimes you just might be looking for a potato crisp fix. Perhaps you’re used to Walkers or Lay’s and you really want a salty snack to munch on after lunch. You’re in luck because not only are these brands often available to you in many Korean convenience stores, but you’ll also have the opportunity to try something new while you’re abroad. How about Orion Poca Chips? I will admit that you’re more limited by the range of flavours with this snack. The two most common variations are onion and original (say goodbye to salt and vinegar for a while). But the thin slices of potato used to make this snack are scrumptious and create a lighter crisp that can be devoured in the blink of an eye. This entry on the list isn’t groundbreaking in any regard, but sometimes all you want is a crisp to bridge the gap between Korea and home. 

7. Corn crisps

The way that Korea uses vegetables in its recipes and cooking is incredibly creative. I’m used to basic crisps made out of baking potato and perhaps a sweet potato if the store is feeling particularly fancy. Korea has no such limitations. One of the best out-of-the-ordinary crisp packets available are Popping Corn Chips. As a big kid, I think the shape of these crisps makes them a fun snack with their cone-like dimensions. I also think these corn crisps trump many other types of potato chips because they’re considerably less greasy. The flavour of corn is subtle but undertones the crisp, and the use of this ingredient makes the snack noticeably lighter in the stomach than other crisps. Popping Corn Chips can be found in a basic original flavour as well as a grilled and spicy variation. Even if you’re not a fan of sweetcorn as a standalone food, I’d encourage you to give these crisps a try as their unobtrusive taste will pleasantly surprise you. 

8. Crushed ramen (bbusheo bbusheo)

Heating the stove, and boiling the water, and waiting for your food to cook is such a hassle. You look at a pack of ramen and you’re so hungry that you just want to eat it straight out of the packet. Or maybe you think trying your favourite ramen raw will be a unique culinary experience but the idea of eating a whole block of dried noodles just doesn’t sound appealing. Don’t worry the Korean convenience store once again has you covered. Although busy students might already be accustomed to this snack, it’s time you were told about the brilliance of bbusheo bbusheo. Just like you’d expect to find in a full-blown pot ramen, bbusheo bbusheo consists of a small amount of dried noodles and a packet of seasoning to sprinkle over, in flavours like chicken or BBQ. Just pound the packet before opening and dust the powder on top. This snack is a lot easier to eat than its larger counterpart and can really appease your growling stomach until mealtime. 

9. Crown Saltine Cracker

Let’s face it, a lot of snacks in Korea are sweeter than what you’re used to. But sometimes you don’t crave a sugar kick and instead want something solely salty and savoury. Then Crown Saltine Crackers are what you need. These are a basic snack – nothing crazy at all – but they should be a staple in your household pantry for when the snacking munchies strike. Akin to brands like Ritz crackers, these are simply salty crackers. But they can be enjoyed in so many ways. I love spreading a bit of Nutella on top when I need a balance between salt and sugar. Otherwise, jam, peanut butter or cheese (if you can find a type you like in supermarkets) are other great pairings. This snack might not be your first choice when you go to the store, especially as similar products exist abroad, but they’re really great on a night out in Korea, where the drink is sure to be abound. Pop into the local CU at three in the morning and soak up all that soju with Crown Saltine Crackers. 

10. Tteokbokki crisps

First off, if you haven’t tried tteokbokki, go and fix that mistake. Once you have tried this spicy street food, have a go at tteokbokki crisps. Unlike the other crisps on this list, this snack has a very strong flavour, reminiscent of the tang of tteokbokki sauce. These crisps are a fun twist on a classic dish, with all the same great taste but less risk of spillages. The chewy rice cakes of tteokbokki are replaced with a new crunchy texture, making a packet quite easy to demolish in seconds flat. However, if you’re wary of spice, think about sticking to the other snacks on this list. On the other hand, if you have no fear of gochujang (Korean red chilli paste) then give these a whirl. Tteokbokki crisps are an original snack to try that pays homage to a classic Korean dish and is unlike any crisp flavour you might find elsewhere.

Super snacking

Snacks are the backbone of an eating schedule. You’ve just finished breakfast, so now it’s time for a yakgwa with your morning cup of tea. Or it’s a while after lunch and too early for dinner, but a great time for some Popping Corn Chips. Maybe it’s movie night and the occasion wouldn’t be complete without a box of Pepero. With Korea’s abundance of convenience stores, you have no excuse not to try every great snack on the list. Plus why not pick up a couple of extra packets while you’re shopping to bring back to friends back home who’d love to try some of the best Korean snacks? I’ll definitely be bringing bag a few bags of Peeling Mango Jellies for my sister to munch on. So what are you excited to buy and try?