What Makes Korean Snacks So Irresistible? A Crunchy & Sweet Deep Dive

If you’re a fan of Korean imports like K-pop or K-drama, you’ve probably seen someone enjoying Korean snacks. Before you get your hands on some of these tasty goodies, you need a proper guide to help you choose the best ones. Whether you like your snacks savory, sweet, or spicy, this post will ensure that you get the best products on the market. We’ll introduce you to top choices like butter chips, tteokbokki puffs, and many other delicious goodies! Why Korean Snacks Are Taking Over the World Korean snacks are fast becoming a global favorite, especially among the younger generation. Millions of people worldwide have fallen in love with iconic goodies from South Korea, such as Honey Butter Chips, Turtle Chips, Pepero, and Choco Pie. The rise in the global popularity of these snacks is a result of indirect but effective marketing by K-pop and K-dramas, which have become beloved in foreign countries. The “Korean Wave,” also known as “Hallyu,” has increased international interest in Korean culture since the 90s. Today, Hallyu ambassadors, including K-pop musicians, K-drama actors, and Korean YouTubers, play a major role in the growing curiosity for Korean food culture. Korean Snack Culture: A Blend of Tradition and Trend The snack culture in Korea is quite different from what people in Western countries may be familiar with. Korean snacks are rooted in tradition but embrace modern flavor innovation. Many of them draw inspiration from street food like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and hotteok (sweet pancake), which are a big part of the domestic food culture. In Korea, snacks are meant to be fun to eat and easy to carry around. The bright, colorful, and export-friendly packaging of these snacks has also skyrocketed their appeal to a diverse global audience. Korean snacks consist of homemade or store-bought chips, cookies, biscuits, crackers, pies, buns, and nuts, often featuring healthy ingredients. The Top 3 Most Popular Korean Chips Today The top 3 Korean chips are Sweet Potato Chips, Honey Butter Chips, and Kobuk Chips. Those three products are arguably the most consumed snacks within and outside the country. Below is a brief overview of each. Sweet Potato Chips: Sweet potatoes play a major role in Korean cuisine, so it makes sense that they feature in the country’s snacks. These sweet, crunchy, and healthy snacks rely on the natural flavors of the potatoes rather than sugar. Goguma Kkang is one of the top sweet potato chip brands in Korea. Honey Butter Chips: As far as most Koreans are concerned, Haitai Calbee is the only recognized manufacturer of the snacks. In 2014, Calbee released their Honey Butter Chips in Korea, causing widespread craze when they ran out. People couldn’t get enough of the crispy chips coated with sweet honey and salty butter. The high demand led to chronic scarcity, and many had to turn to the black market for the snacks. Today Honey Butter Chips are beloved in other Asian countries, including Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and China. Kobuk Chips: Also known as Turtle Chips, this brand of snacks was released by Orion in 2017. While regular chips have a single layer, each piece of Kobuk chips consists of four thin layers of extra-crispy chips shaped like the shell of a turtle. There are multiple versions of the brand, such as chocolate churros, flaming mala, and caramel popcorn. What Are Korean Crackers Called? A Guide to Local Lingo The common Korean word for snack is “gwaja” (과자). It serves as an umbrella term for all snack categories, including crackers, sweets, cookies, candy, cakes, and other pastries. Hence, Korean crackers are often called “gwaja.” There are different types of crackers in Korea. Shrimp crackers are favorites. They are light, crispy, and savory treats seasoned with real shrimp. Nongshim’s Saeukkang is the most popular brand of shrimp crackers in Korea. Sweet Potato Chips and Other Savory Favorites If you’re a fan of savory snacks, Korea has countless options that will suit your taste. Below, we will discuss these savory favorites and how their unique textures and flavors appeal globally. Sweet potato chips: Korean baked sweet potato chips are often seasoned with salt or butter, giving the snacks a distinct savory flavor. The balanced flavors that come with each bite make them a global favorite. Try cooking the snack at home by following the full instructions in our simple recipe. Cut thin slices with a mandolin slicer (at the thinnest setting), a sharp knife, or a vegetable peeler (for extra-thin slices). Season the slices with a sprinkle of salt, some olive oil, and paprika before baking them in the oven (or air fryer). Ensure that both sides of each chip are crisp before transferring them from the baking pan to a bowl. Store chips in an air-tight container. Shrimp chips: Also called shrimp crackers, these snacks have a natural savory flavor because they contain real shrimp or prawn. People all over the world love the bold flavors and crispy texture of these shrimp-flavored chips. Seaweed crackers: These are some of the most popular vegetable-based snacks in Korea. They often contain seaweed (gim), flour, rice, and spices. They are perfect for health-conscious snack lovers, thanks to a low saturated fat content. The Best Sweet Korean Snacks You Need to Try Let’s explore the top Korean sweet snacks available. Pepero: This Korean brand of pretzel sticks coated with chocolate, is one of Asia’s most beloved snacks. Owned by Lotte, Pepero comes in all kinds of sweet flavors, including strawberry, almond, and chocolate. Orion Choco Pie: Orion was the first to release the Choco Pie, which consists of two round, chocolate-coated biscuits filled with marshmallow. HBAF Starlight Pangpang Almond: HBAF is known for enhancing its almond snacks with candy and ice cream flavors. The Starlight Pangpang is a candy-coated almond that tastes a lot like fruity soda. Honey Butter Chips: These goodies need no introduction. They’re arguably Korea’s most beloved snacks abroad. Goguma Kkang: These are sweet potato chips manufactured by Nongshim, one of Korea’s biggest food brands. Got a sweet tooth? Try these Korean treats by making them at home or buying them as end products from stores: Korean candies: Korea is home to various sweets such as choco sticks and custard cream cakes. Gummies: Asian gummies are also common in the Korean snack market. These soft and chewy treats include Crown Mychew and Crown Saekom. Chocolate-dipped rice cakes: You can make these sweet snacks by combining rice cakes (tteok) and creamy chocolate. The rice cakes are made from glutinous rice flour and are called chaltteok or chapssal-tteok. Korean honey rice cakes: Also known as ggultteok, this traditional dessert dish is made with rice flour and filled with a mixture of golden brown honey and sesame seeds. Korean Chocolate Chips and Dessert-Inspired Snacks You may have noticed that chocolate-forward snacks are common in Korean food culture. Anyone who grew up there will be familiar with the impact of Pepero on both kids and adults alike. The chocolate-covered pretzel sticks manufactured by Lotte Wellfood are so popular that November 11 has been dedicated as Pepero Day in Korea. Lotte is also responsible for Homerun Ball, a sandwich cookie with chocolate filling, similar to Oreo cookies. Orion also produces some of Korea’s most popular chocolate treats. The company made Choco Boy, a mushroom-shaped cookie featuring a leg made from biscuit and a cap made from chocolate glaze. Choco Boy comes in various flavors in Korea, including caramel, mango, and black currant. Despite the success of Choco Boy, it’s not Orion’s most beloved snack. That would be Turtle Chips! The Orion Kobuk Chips: Chocolate Churro is an iconic sweet treat that has massive popularity in Korea and other parts of the world. Chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar give it a unique sweet flavor. The snack also features four chip layers, creating a crunchy and puffy texture. Unique Korean Snacks You Won’t Find Anywhere Else South Korea is home to many quirky and innovative snacks that you can hardly find in other countries. Sweet or sour yogurt is sometimes paired with other flavors to make milky jellies. You can also find spicy hot cheese puffs made with tteokbokki, ice cream held by cones made from corn, and butter bread seasoned with garlic powder. Korean Convenience Store Snack Haul Essentials The convenience store, or pyeon-uijeom (편의점), is the best place to buy authentic snacks in Korea. Snack lovers who enter these stores tell tales of how difficult it is to resist impulse buys. The wide variety of delicious options can be overwhelming for you. So, let's help you choose essential categories to get on your next shopping spree. Here are typical impulse buys at a Korean convenience store: Banana milk Spicy chips Cup noodles Shrimp crackers Sweet potato chips Korean-style almonds Where to Buy Korean Snacks Online Bokksu Market is the best shop to buy Korean snacks online. Our store curates exclusive and trending Korean snacks (like Kobuk Chips) for U.S. shoppers looking for a taste of Korea. We also sell Korean-style almonds, spicy rice cakes seasoned with chili, and many other goodies fresh from Asia. How to Create the Perfect Korean Snack Night Mixing your savory and sweet Korean snacks with drinks like Milkis or barley tea will give you the ultimate Korean snack experience. Other beverages that pair perfectly with snacks include rice wine, beer, soju, and green tea. Next movie night, set your table up with your favorite pairings and put on a K-drama. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!