The 10 Best Korean Snacks to Try
With K-Pop, South Korean dramas and Korean skincare becoming more popular in the West, it comes as no surprise that we’re seeing an explosion of interest in a whole range of Korean foods and culinary experiences.
Korean snacks are especially popular, offering different flavours and exciting treats that you won’t find on UK supermarket shelves. Online Korean grocery stores provide a convenient way to try these much-loved snacks, bringing you an authentic taste of South Korea.
Popular Must-Try Korean Snacks
But where should you start? Whether you love to snack on something sweet, savoury, spicy or all of the above, you’re sure to find something to suit your cravings among the extensive world of Korean snacks.
Here are some of our tasty top picks for ready-to-eat Korean snacks.
The Best Sweet Korean Snacks
- Pepero
- Orion Choco Pie
- Custard Cakes
- Lotte Waffle Mate
- Grape Candy
The Best Savoury Korean Snacks
- Roasted Seaweed Snacks
- Lotte Kokkal Corn Chips
- Nongshim Shrimp Crackers
- Tteokbokki Chips
- Nongshim Sweet Potato Snacks
1. Pepero
You may have tried the Japanese counterpart to this snack, Pocky – both are thin biscuit sticks coated in chocolate, something you can’t go far wrong with! Pepero biscuits, made by renowned brand Lotte, come in a range of moreish flavours like peanut, almond, crushed cookie, orange and much more.
They are so popular in South Korea they even have their own day. Pepero Day is often likened to Valentine’s Day, and some may celebrate by gifting Pepero to partners and friends.
2. Orion Choco Pie
Another incredibly popular chocolatey treat, Orion Choco Pies are small sponge cakes with a fluffy marshmallow filling wrapped in a delicious layer of chocolate. You can get packets of several sizes, but will usually find 12 to a pack.
The original Choco Pie flavour is the go-to for many people, but there is a range of flavours to choose from, including green tea, banana and strawberry, to name just a few.
3. Custard Cakes
With a light, airy sponge and creamy custard filling, what’s not to love about Lotte’s Custard Cakes? Just one of these little cakes is sure to satisfy your sweet cravings.
These sweet treats can be enjoyed anywhere, any time but might pair particularly well with your afternoon cup of tea.
4. Lotte Waffle Mate
The ideal snack to enjoy with your cup of coffee or tea, Lotte Waffle Mate Biscuits are biscuit-sized waffles with a soft texture and sweet, syrupy taste.
Visually, they are more akin to Dutch stroopwafels rather than thicker Belgium waffles. One thing’s for sure, once a box of these waffles is open, they won’t last very long!
5. Grape Candy
Grape is a popular flavour for Korean drinks, sweets and desserts as it offers a refreshing, fruity flavour without being too sweet. Lotte Green Grape Candy is a mouth-watering hard-boiled sweet with the same shape and size as a real grape.
The flavour is tart but fragrant. Each individually wrapped sweet is made with real fruit juice for a fresh, distinctly delicious taste.
6. Roasted Seaweed Snacks
Seaweed is a popular snack in various east Asian countries like Korea and Japan. Compared to other snacking foods, seaweed is considered quite healthy, as it’s rich in vitamins and nutrients.
Seaweed snacks usually come in the form of thin sheets or pressed and roasted seaweed, seasoned with just salt or perhaps wasabi or BBQ flavouring, depending on your choice. They are deliciously crispy and make the ideal light snack.
One particular brand to look our for is Tao Kae Noi as they're known for producing some tasty, unique seaweed snack flavours.
7. Lotte Kokkal Corn Chips
These cone-shaped corn snacks are great if you love to snack on something crunchy. Kokkal Corn Chips are nostalgic for many as they’ll remember putting the snacks on the end of their fingers like claws – a popular pastime when eating them! Some packaging will even advertise the practice of doing this.
The original corn snacks have a slight sweetcorn flavour. They are also available in other tasty flavours like grilled corn, sweet and spicy or shrimp.
8. Nongshim Shrimp Crackers
If you’re a fan of seafood, these crunchy, crisp-like shrimp crackers are well worth trying. Nongshim shrimp flavoured crackers are made from real shrimp and are baked to give them that satisfying crunch.
Shrimp crackers are also available in a spicy flavour for those that love their snacks with a fiery kick.
9. Tteokbokki Chips
Tteokbokki is a famous Korean street food consisting of small cylindrical rice cakes, most commonly stir-fried in a spicy sauce. It is often bought at snack bars or street food stalls as a quick, warming snack.
These tteokbokki chips take inspiration from the classic dish, offering a crunchy, crisp-like snack version of the original rice cake version. Tteokbokki chips combine sweet and spicy notes for a delicious snack that’ll keep you coming back for more.
10. Nongshim Sweet Potato Snacks
If potato crisps are your usual snack of choice, why not opt for something a little different with Nongshim’s sweet potato snacks? A combination of sweet and savoury, these sweet potato crisps are also flavoured with a hint of maple syrup for an indulgent treat that isn't too sickly.
They have a great crunch and are the perfect snack for you to keep on hand for when you need something that’s a little sweet, a little salty and all delicious.
Where to Buy Korean Snacks
You will be able to find all of these and much more at your local Korean supermarket. If you don’t have a store local to you, ordering instant Korean snacks online is easy and convenient.
Here at Oriental Mart, we stock a fantastic range of Korean snacks, food and drinks that can be ordered straight to your door.
If you’ve been tempted by anything we’ve mentioned here, you can buy it from our online Korean supermarket and eat your fill! Our kimchi instant noodles offer another instance of classic Korean flavours.
And to find the best drinks to pair all your new favourite snacks with, check out our guide to the most popular drinks in Korea.
Written By:
Sara Yang
Sara is based in the UK but loves nothing more than creating and sampling dishes from all around the world. Her favourite is Asian cuisine and she hopes to inspire more people in the UK to try authentic East Asian dishes.
