Aside from samgyupsal, Korean snacks are also noteworthy to mention as you can't help but drool, given their deliciousness and uniqueness! If you're one of the many Filipinos riding the K-Wave or Korean wave, you're not alone! There are a lot of things to rave about, from Kdramas to skincare and food, especially the food!
f you are unsure where to start with all the different Korean snack options—worry not! From the different types of snacks to our top 10 recommended Korean snacks, we will break it down for you! Make sure to read our buying guide as we asked nutritionist-dietitian Samantha Morales to fact-check and review the section!
Quick List - Top Korean Snacks
Lotte
Mild Corn Snack for Those Who Want Something Lighter on the Palate
Samantha began her career in clinical nutrition and weight management at a tertiary hospital in Manila, Philippines. Her practice allowed her to give nutrition counseling and plan modified diets for patients with medical conditions. Presently, she does private practice to focus on true holistic wellness - an approach that believes in aligning one's mind, body, and spiritual well-being.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Here are some key points to consider:
For more detailed information, read through our buying guide below.
Snacks can generally be categorized into two categories; sweet and savory or salty. There are a lot of options for both picks, so it’s a win-win situation either way. If your budget allows it, then you could go for both; otherwise, it’s a matter of what your taste buds are in the mood for!
You could find a number of sweet Korean snacks ranging from chocolate to biscuits. What’s great about them is they are not cloyingly sweet, which makes them pleasant to snack on. This way, you’re not as umay, so you could still fulfill your cravings without the added sugar rush!
Aside from sweet things, savory or salty foods are pretty addicting to munch on, which is why we find it difficult to stop once we open up a packet of chips or something similar. And you'll be delighted to find out that various Korean snacks offer this familiar flavor! It is a great option for those who are not that fond of sweet food.
Shopping for Korean snacks is quite a fun affair as their snacks come in many types. You can find chips, biscuits, ice cream, and even instant meals, so everything is quite novel to us. Let us take a look at our choices below!
If you want something a little more substantial than just chichirya or biscuits, you’d be pleased to know that Korean snacks include instant versions of meals! This makes for a more filling treat, perfect if you want an easy-to-prepare merienda.
Aside from instant noodles, you could find frozen corndogs, instant tteokbokki, or spicy rice cake, as well as sausages. These often only require you to heat them in the microwave, add hot water, or fry them. Some are even ready to eat straight out of the packaging!
Chips, or what we like to generally refer to as chichirya, are one of the top choices when it comes to snacks. They are the ideal snack for munching as they do not require any preparation, and you could eat them anytime, anywhere. You could choose from chips, puffs, seaweed crisps, and even nuts!
They are great for sharing or for solo snacking if you have quite the appetite or just want some pantanggal umay. Korean chips also come in interesting flavors, such as the iconic honey butter, shrimp, as well as banana-flavored ones!
No childhood is complete without bringing baon to school in the form of boxed snacks. These could range anywhere from biscuits and cookies to snack cakes. They often come in multiple packs, so you can easily bring one with you.
Even as adults, some of us may even have a small stash, which is handy for tiding you over on late nights or when you have no time for breakfast. With that being said, Korean boxed snacks are great for kids and kids at heart!
They also take pride in their ice creams coming in tasty flavors, like green tea, red bean, and injeolmi, which are made from roasted soybean powder. Their ice creams are often inspired by their native snacks. They also offer ice cream sandwiches, fruit-flavored bars, and even yogurt-flavored ice cream! With the dozens of variations available, you won’t run out of options to choose from!
It’s hard not to mention flavored milk when it comes to Korean snacks. They come in a plethora of options, from the fan-favorite banana milk to strawberry, melon, and even chocolate. These come in small sizes, ideal for snacking and even baon or merienda for your kids!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Orion Turtle Chip | ![]() | Multi-Layer Chips That Possess a Crunchiness Like No Other | |
2 | Lotte Kkokkal Corn - Popping Corn Chips | ![]() | Mild Corn Snack for Those Who Want Something Lighter on the Palate | |
3 | Lotte Pepero Almond & Chocolate | ![]() | Savor Chocolatey Almond Goodness in Every Bite | |
4 | Binggrae Samanco Red Bean Ice Sandwich|Pack of 4 | ![]() | Harmony of Korean Dessert and Ice Cream In One | |
5 | Orion Choco Pie|Pack of 12 | ![]() | A Chocolatey Snack That Kids and Adults Will Love | |
6 | Haitai Calbee Honey Butter Chip | ![]() | A Sweet and Salty Treat For You to Munch On | |
7 | Haitai Homerun Ball|Choco | ![]() | Puff Biscuit Filled Chocolatey Goodness | |
8 | Orion Goraebab | ![]() | A Popular Korean Snack That Combines Fun and Flavor | |
9 | Yopokki Sweet & Spicy Cup | ![]() | Filling, Sweet, and Spicy Snack to Enhance Your Appetite | |
10 | Bibigo Savory Roasted Seasoned Korean Seaweed|Available in Pack of 8 and 12 | ![]() | Oozes Salty and Umami Seaweed Taste |
Turtle chips or Kkobuk Chip is a massive hit in Korea- and it's easy to see why. Apart from its fun shape resembling a tortoise's shell, this snack's crunch factor is top-tier. It has four layers of airy, crispy, and puffed-corn exterior, giving you a satisfying crunch with every bite.
More than that, it evokes an addictive, sweet, and savory taste derived from its sweet corn soup flavor, similar to those found in South Korean convenience stores. While tasty enough to be consumed on its own, this snack also pairs perfectly with soju. Thus, you can make it your pulutan while you binge your favorite K-drama.
For those who are not big fans of overly salty chips, this one by Lotte will surely steal your heart. This all-time favorite snack in Korea features a mild and savory corn taste that won't overwhelm your tastebuds. But perhaps its unique selling point is its distinct cone shape that kids and teenagers particularly love!
To make munching on this snack more fun, you can try eating like Korean kids and teenagers. Put one cone on each of your fingertips and eat the pieces one by one from each finger! You may also try to pair it with soft-serve ice cream for a tasty and fun snack to beat the heat.
Those who have a sweet tooth will definitely love Lotte's Pepero. This iconic snack is often used to express one's feelings or given as a gift. From its introduction in the market, it immediately became a hit. The chocolate-covered biscuits have crushed almond toppings, which makes every bite a piece of heaven.
If you are looking for a chocolatey snack that you can munch on without becoming too umay, then this one is for you. Pepero is also known for its wide variety of flavors, such as plain chocolate and cookies and cream, so feel free to choose, but it's always good to start with a classic!
Don’t be fooled by its fishy appearance, as looks can be deceiving! Binggrae is going to aid your ice cream fix. Samanco is a vanilla ice cream enclosed in a fish-shaped wafer with a sweet red bean paste filling inside. It combines traditional Korean dessert and ice cream.
The crunchy wafer exterior provides an added layer and dimension to the ice cream. On the other hand, the red bean gives a nostalgic feel that harkens back to the ice candies that we grew up with. You will surely enjoy the wonderful combination of this ice cream, whether as a cool treat or dessert!
Looking for a cake fix? Orion’s Chocopie can provide it for you! Chocopie is a popular Korean snack among children and even adults! It consists of stringy and fluffy marshmallow filling sandwiched between two sponge cakes and coated in fudgy chocolate.
Despite its layers, this confection is not overbearingly sweet. Its taste is just right whether you are looking for an afternoon merienda or a sweet treat to end your meal. The packaging also contains individually wrapped choco pies, perfect for when you need a quick snack in between classes or meetings!
Honey butter is a flavor that has been on the rise for years, and it is a no-brainer that these chips are one of the most popular variants. The flavor combines both the sweetness and tanginess of honey with the creamy smoothness of butter. It makes for a rather indulgent snack to munch on!
The chips are sliced thinly, which ensures a perfectly crispy bite. Upon opening, your senses will be invaded by its fragrance, which smells deeply of butter, but it doesn’t stop there! Its taste also resembles a hint of salty butter cookies, perfect for those who like sweet and salty combinations!
Entering the list is another treat for those with a sweet tooth! These biscuit balls by Haitai are like puff pastry. Each biscuit has a melt-in-your-mouth outer layer with a generous rich chocolate cream filling that will surely get you hooked.
This snack is well-loved by all ages in Korea. It is perfect if you're overindulged with salty and savory food after eating heavy meals. The small size of each ball also makes it easy to eat. It can be a great snack for your children now that they're set to return to school.
If you're on the hunt for a snack that will surely steal your kids' hearts, Goraebab is the way to go! This classic boxed Korean snack is well-loved by kids for a reason. It consists of puffed hollow crackers shaped like nine different sea creatures, so eating them is really fun - almost like a game of hunt!
The crackers also produce a pronounceable crunch, making you want to keep munching on it non-stop! Taste-wise, each cracker is tossed in a salty roasted seasoning that gives it a delicious and addicting flavor. No wonder it's very popular among adults, too!
Tteokbokki is a type of popular Korean street food, and you can see it almost everywhere. It consists of stick-shaped rice cakes mixed in a spicy red sauce. Making it from scratch may seem like a chore, so it's a good thing that Yopokki offers instant tteokbokki!
This particular variety is easy to prepare as you don't need to use the stove. You can cook it in the microwave and mix in other ingredients like fish cakes, cheese, eggs, and sausages. The flavor gives enough spice to stimulate your appetite while the sweetness balances it all throughout!
Seaweed snacks are fun to eat, and it always seems like one pack is never enough! It's as if you have just opened a new packet only to find out it is all gone. It's a great thing that Bibigo offers theirs in a pack of 8 and 12! These snacks are perfect for baked sushi and on their own.
Roasted seaweed is made by blanching seaweeds, dehydrating, roasting, and seasoning the sheets. The flavor of these snacks has a robust fishy taste, a hint of saltiness, and umami. This is perfect if you are craving something salty, as it also provides just the right hint of linamnam without the taste coming off too strong.
Below are some of the most asked questions on the web answered by the mybest team.
For starters, there are the classics, including Orion's Choco Pie, Binggrae's Banana Milk, and Lotte's Pepero. But aside from these well-loved and known Korean snacks, there are a whole lot of options you can try.
There are several Korean groceries spread across the country, but if you don't have much time to visit them, you'll be glad to know that there are various Korean snacks available on E-commerce sites, like Lazada and Shopee. You may also find online Korean groceries, like Sijang Mart and Famulei.
There are quite a number of Halal-friendly Korean snacks. Some noteworthy products that you can enjoy to your heart's content are Binggrae's Banana Milk, Lotte's Pepero, and the ever-famous Melona ice cream.
Looking for more snacks to satisfy your midnight cravings? Perhaps you'd like a healthier alternative? From flavor-loaded potato chips to healthy substitutes, we've put together these articles featuring items for you to try!
Author: J. Cuizon
Re-editor: R. Victoriano
Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
No. 1: Orion|Turtle Chip
No. 2: Lotte|Kkokkal Corn - Popping Corn Chips
No. 3: Lotte|Pepero Almond & Chocolate
No. 4: Binggrae|Samanco Red Bean Ice Sandwich|Pack of 4
No. 5: Orion|Choco Pie|Pack of 12
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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