Six Korean Snacks That Double As Souvenirs
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
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
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
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
We don’t really have anything like Dried Squid in the States, which makes this snack a souvenir delicacy. Whether your friends are inclined to all things spicy or have a preference for sweet, there are plenty of flavors to bring back for 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 a few bags of these.
Tteokbokki Chips
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
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
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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