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So many Korean snacks, so little time. If you are a novice Korean snacker and need a nudge in the right direction as to which snacks you should try, look no further. We have your back with this list of 10 Korean snacks for first timers.
1. Choco Pie (초코파이)
The infamous Lotte Choco Pie. This pastry snack is a soft marshmallow filling sandwiched inside a crumbly, chocolaty shell. There are other flavors too, like banana, green tea latte, dark cacao, and strawberry. It is the kind of snack you find tucked into lunchboxes and gift sets across Korea, and it has become a comfort treat for generations of Koreans.
2. Kkokalcorn (꼬깔콘)
Warning: once you start eating these cone shaped corn chips, you will not be able to stop. Kkokalcorn first hit shelves in 1983 and has been one of Lotte's best selling snacks ever since. The original is lightly salted with a buttery corn flavor, and there are sweet and spicy versions for adventurous palates. The cone shape is also famous as a finger puppet move for Korean kids, who slip them onto their fingertips before eating.
3. Pepero (빼빼로)
Another famous sweet treat. Pepero are thin biscuit sticks dipped in chocolate, and in Korea, November 11 is dedicated to this snack because 11/11 looks like four Pepero sticks. People exchange boxes of Pepero with friends, classmates, and partners as little tokens of affection. Beyond the original, there are almond, strawberry, white cookies and cream, and a long list of seasonal flavors.
4. Yangpa Ring (양파링)
We give you permission to play with your food when you eat these onion flavored ring snacks. Yangpa Ring is Korea's answer to onion rings in chip form, lightly puffed and packed with savory onion flavor. They have a delicate, airy crunch that is more subtle than typical Western onion ring snacks, and they pair perfectly with a cold drink on a lazy afternoon.
5. Kancho
These adorable, chocolate filled biscuits are the perfect sweet snack for a date night, a movie session, or a quiet afternoon with coffee. Each tiny biscuit is decorated with cute mascots Kany and Chony, and inside you find a generous pocket of chocolate cream. They come in individual small boxes that make them easy to share, although you will probably want to keep the whole box for yourself.
6. Twist (트위스트)
Crunchy, sweet, and twisty. These spiral shaped snacks have a satisfying crunch and a mild sweetness that goes great with a glass of chocolate milk or banana milk. The twist shape is more than just a gimmick. It traps just enough air to give every bite a light, almost cracker like texture that disappears in your mouth.
7. Maxbon Mini Sausage Cheese Snack (맥스봉)
A convenient, tasty sausage snack that fits right into your pocket. You might remember these mini sausage snacks from the popular drama Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, where the characters ate them all the time. Maxbon is made by CJ and comes in flavors like cheese, original, and cheongyang pepper. Sausage snacks are common in Korea, and there are plenty of different brands to pick from once Maxbon hooks you.
8. Goguma Chew (고구마 츄)
A bag of sweet potato fries already prepared and ready for your enjoyment. Goguma chew snacks are baked, crispy, and lightly sweetened, capturing the natural caramel flavor of Korean sweet potato. They are one of the healthier picks on this list since the sweetness comes mostly from the goguma itself, and they make a great between meal snack.
9. Churroz (츄러스)
Who doesn't love a good churro? If you are not near a fair or an amusement park, grab a bag of these Crown Churroz snacks instead. They are light, crispy sticks dusted with cinnamon brown sugar, and they hit the same sweet, warm spice notes as a freshly fried churro from a stand. They will surely satisfy your churro craving, no oil splatter required.
10. White Heim (화이트하임)
A light, crispy wafer that goes great with coffee or tea. White Heim is the white chocolate sibling of Crown's classic Choco Heim, and the wafer is filled with smooth white chocolate cream and hazelnut paste. The snack even made a cameo when BTS gave a SnackFever box to Halsey, who peeked inside and pulled out a pack. Pro tip from Korean locals: pop them in the freezer for an hour for an ice cream sandwich style upgrade.
I hope these suggestions help you in your quest to start your K-snacking adventure. You are now ready for the next level of K-snacking. There are plenty more snacks to choose from, and we can get them to you monthly with a SnackFever subscription. Happy snacking.
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