Did you really travel if you didn’t return home with a bag full of souvenirs? Probably not. If you’re like me, the mere thought of picking out a few trinkets (and then some for your friends and family) that perfectly encapsulate a place is more stressful than fun. But that’s where food comes in!Trinkets come and go, but the delicious memories of a yummy snack are forever, which is why a country’s staple items, culinary craze go-tos, and wackiest wonders you can stick in your mouth are what every tourist and traveler should be bringing home by the boatload.Here are six snacks that if you don’t bring back in your suitcase after traveling to South Korea, you’re not doing Korea right.Honey Butter Chips View this post on Instagram #나이런여자야 A post shared by sᴏᴏʏᴏᴜɴɢ ᴄʜᴏɪ (@sooyoungchoi) on Nov 28, 2014 at 6:55am PST A few years back, this flavor of chips allegedly caused a snack black market, giving new meaning to the term “food craze.” K-pop idols, celebrities, and mere mortals alike were clamoring for this deliciously sweet flavor, and you should be, too! If chips aren’t your style, there are other food items touting Honey Butter, but unfortunately chips are one of the few food forms that will make it past TSA.Korean Rice Cakes View this post on Instagram #오뚜기매니아 #오뚜기 #OTTOGI #2018쌀가공식품TOP10 #오뚜기톡톡김치알밥 #오뚜기컵밥 #젤맛있음 #마성의뚜기몰 #오뚜기신종노예 알밥 강추! #또사려고장바구니넣어둠 #두번먹어세번먹어계속먹어🍴 A post shared by 信愛 (@jeonhera) on Oct 7, 2018 at 8:04pm PDT Tteok, or Korean rice cakes, are usually given out as gifts on New Year’s or Chuseok, making them a fantastic souvenir for family and friends. While it would be hard to bring home some fresh tteok, popular instant food brand OTTOGI makes an instant Korean Rice Cake Soup that will survive the plane ride home. Not to mention, this filling snack kills two birds with one stone, combining Korea’s famous convenience store ramen with traditional cuisine.Jolly Pong View this post on Instagram #죠리퐁 #jollypong 오랜만에 죠리퐁 우유에 말아먹기. 어렸을땐 진짜 많이 먹었는데.. 하얀 우유에 죠리퐁 가득 넣어 다 떠먹고 나면 초코우유로 변해있다. 그게 얼마나 맛있던지..다시 동심으로 😋 #koreansnack #어린시절 #동심 #음식스타그램 #먹스타그램 #삼십대 #삼십대여자 #일상 #일상스타그램#수요일#그리움#과자 #과자스타그램#과자그램 #선팔맞팔 #followforfollowback #맛스타그램 #먹방 #먹방스타그램 #데일리 #일상기록 A post shared by Hyojin Na (@hjpradhan) on Oct 17, 2018 at 3:16am PDT Sometimes the best souvenirs are the ones that are practical, and Jolly Pong is practical as heck! This puffed wheat snack can be munched on straight out of the bag or enjoyed with milk as a breakfast cereal. Sure, your friends already know about the wonders of dry cereal, but this is the Korean equivalent!Dried Squid View this post on Instagram . :: 독하게 100일 다이어트 78일 :: 2015.06.21 간식 ✔허니버터오징어, 초콜릿 간식창고에 왜케 이것저것 많이 쟁겨놨는지ㅠㅜ 새로운 다이어트 시작전 먹고픈거 꺼내먹기 내일 인바디가 또 확 늘어날 예정이요ㅋ 역시 애증의 초코는 많이 거기에 허니버터오징어는 음💕 . . :: 100days Diet day 78 :: 2015.06.21 Snack ✔honey butter dried squid, chocolate . . #JOO다이어트 #JOOdiet #JOOダイエット #다이어트 #다이어트식단 #맛스타그램 #먹스타그램#100일다이어트 #독하게다이어트 #다이어터 #운동하는여자#간식 #ダイエット #筋トレ #상주는날#치팅데이 #먹방 #Cheating #cheatingday #カンニング #カンニングデー #허니버터오징어 #gs25 #ハニーバターイカ #するめ #スルメ #間食 A post shared by EUNJOO (@joodaily) on Jun 21, 2015 at 9:45am PDT Wedon’t really have anything like Dried Squid in the States, which makes thissnack a souvenir delicacy. Whether your friends are inclined to all thingsspicy or have a preference for sweet, there are plenty of flavors to bring backfor them, including smoked, beef rib, peanut butter, and even honey butter! Dried,seasoned, and cut into strips, Dried Squid is not only a popular snack in Korea,it’s also a popular flavor in other snacks, so really you can’t go wrong with afew bags of these.Tteokbokki Chips View this post on Instagram It says So Hot but the first ingredient on the back is sugar. Nope! A post shared by Luis M (@guapomole) on Jul 7, 2018 at 7:34pm PDT If you’re talking Korean street food, tteokbokki is sure to be a main part of the conversation. While TSA certainly won’t let you through with a steaming pot of fresh tteokbokki—all that spicy goodness probably messes with the airwaves or something—you can bring home some tteokbokki chips that mimic the flavor of the real deal, but in a crunchy chip form. Lotte Chocopie View this post on Instagram 🍫 LOTTE CHOCO PIE 🍫 Alfajor con dos capas de suaves bizcochuelo y un relleno premium de malvavisco! Llená tu boca con el placer del más delicioso chocolate todos los días. ¡COMPRALAS HOY MISMO! #TuStory24 #TuStory24Candy #ChocoPie #LotteChocoPie #Lotte #Chocolate #Alfajor #Food #KoreanFood #Corea #foodsofinstagram A post shared by TuStory24 (@tustory24) on Nov 1, 2018 at 12:53pm PDT Literally a classic. If you’ve watched Korean dramas, reality shows, or really any sort of Korean television and/or entertainment, you’ve heard about the infamous chocopie and have probably even dreamt about biting into one yourself. This is a definite must snack for a laundry list of reasons, the first being chocolate is life. Not to mention, you know what they say: when in Korea, eat as the celebrities do. Basically, buy as many as your arms can hold because Lotte Chocopies are sure to be a crowd pleaser.Bonus! Here is an item I think everyone should try even though you definitely won’t be able to cross oceans with it in your bag, a.k.a an ode to the convenience store:Corn Ice Cream View this post on Instagram 暑いですね。 とうきびアイスの画像を投下。先日のおやつで食べました。面白い見た目と意外な安さに反して、クオリティが高く、きちんとトウモロコシの味がして美味しかったです(笑) こりゃ買ってしまいますな！！ さあ、今日もサービス業だ！ #とうきびアイス#とうきびアイスモナカ #美味しい#おいしいよ#とうきび#アイス#北海道#ご当地#ご当地アイス#美味#とうきびの味#再現#再現クオリティ#クオリティ#高め#ハイクオリティ#美味しい#北海道とうきびアイスモナカ#tasty#corn#corniceceam#icecream #tokibi#yum#foodpic#yummy#yumyum#hokkaido A post shared by AyuM (@ayu2_ayuchinpui) on Jul 7, 2017 at 5:51pm PDT As someone who has yet to travel to Korea, Korean convenience stores feel like the stuff of legends, and this ice cream disguised as corn is truly legendary. Supposedly, this ice cream even contains real kernels of corn, which is truly an experience I feel everyone should partake in. I’m not the only one who’s intrigued, right? If I still haven’t sold you on taking a bite out of this realistically shaped ice cream, just note that this isn’t the only ice cream that’s replicating a different food item in Korean convenience stores, but I’ll leave the rest up to you to discover.Did we miss any must-haves? Let us know in the comments below! Happy travels!Want to give Korean snacks a try? Go to snackfever.com and order your box of happiness!
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