From its delightful packaging to bizarre flavoring, Asian sweets have long tickled our taste buds—and imagination. KoreAm’s Oliver Saria and his taste-testing team rate some of the most sought-after snacks available at Korean markets today.
Photographs by Eric Sueyoshi
A stroll through the candy aisle of a typical Korean grocery store is kind of like shopping at Ikea—all the weird names and bright colors, tons of crap you want (but don’t really need), and a handful of items of questionable taste. We couldn’t possibly test the entire dizzying array of products, so we sampled eight sweet treats and judged them based on six categories: packaging, visual appeal of the product, aroma, taste, texture and overall experience. Joining me on the judging panel were three Los Angeles-based foodies: L.A. Renigen (star of indie films Colma: The Musical and Fruit Fly, former pastry cook at Boule, and host of “LALA,” a food-related series produced by the Center for Asian American Media), Emily Ho (super-taster and contributor to Apartment Therapy’s websites The Kitchn and Re-Nest), and Gregory Han (meatatarian and managing editor of Apartment Therapy: Unplggd).
So, after devouring an ungodly amount of sugar, here is the list, ranked from worst to best.
8.
Sorry, Grandma, it was unanimous which candy was our least favorite. The Korean Red Ginseng might be a cure-all…except maybe for that sweet tooth of yours. Hardly a candy, more like a cough drop, the hint of menthol accentuated the medicinal taste, and the tingle made it feel like a mouthful of Tiger Balm. We didn’t know whether to eat it or rub it on our joints.
7.
Cactus Honey Candy
According to Greg, “seems like [package] design was outsourced to inmates in a North Korean prison.” Ouch! The mold of the candy itself also did nothing to enhance the appeal. Note to candy-maker: The bees imprinted on the candy look like flies. “Ew.” Points for the real agave syrup center, but good luck getting past the “flat,” “uninspired” artificial apple shell.
6.
Love Story
The reviews varied widely for this one, though we were unanimous in our admiration of the completely incomprehensible company pledge: “The mind of that we always consider the smaller is the more precious.” Emily and Greg enjoyed the delicate flavor, while L.A. and I found it bland. You’ll either think Love Story is a “good first date” or a “bad romance.”
5.
Pucca
This has the cutesy Asian candy thing down pat. From the loud pink design to the “overweight goldfish” shell this is what you might feed Hello Kitty. A strong strawberry scent exploded out of the bag, and though we all liked the mix of savory pretzel and sweet filling, the artificial strawberry taste never won over Greg and L.A. Emily and I, however, couldn’t stop eating it.
4.
Two Mix
It might look like boring “grandpa candy” but sometimes grandpa knows best! The aroma suggests a cloying sweetness, but the taste is actually a “satisfying blend of fruit and cream flavors.” L.A., however, complained that the fruit tasted a bit synthetic and reminded her of Shaldan air-fresheners.
3. 
Every Burger
This fun novelty snack had us all intrigued the moment we saw it, and the thick chocolaty aroma made our mouths water. But L.A. felt the construction of the bite-sized burgers was a bit shoddy, and we all agreed the quality of the chocolate could use a boost. Yet, the hint of sesame seed (yes! sesame seed buns) gave it a unique twist.
2. 
Pocky
“Iconic.” “There’s a reason Pocky is king.” Nibble them one-by-one or cram five into your mouth at once; either way, the balance between the rich chocolate and light biscuit is perfect harmony. The package design also won high-praise; it possesses a “vintage” look without being conspicuously “retro.”
1.
Men’s Pocky
Men’s Pocky does the unthinkable by improving upon the original. (Candy manufacturer, Glico, re-frained from any phallic enhancements, whew.) The dark chocolate is bolder and the pretzel stick is sturdier, but it strikes the same familiar balance with even more flavor. Our unanimous winner!
