February 14th is Valentine’s Day!
Many around the world celebrate this day as a day of love— romantic love, platonic love, familial love, or more. The origins of the day are generally accepted to be in honor of Valentine, a Christian thought to have been persecuted and killed for his faith at the hands of the Roman emperor Claudius II on February 14th in the year 269 A.D. Starting in the year 496 A.D., the Roman Catholic church adopted him as a Catholic saint and celebrated the first feast day (a day of commemoration) for Valentine.
Although his refusal to deny his love for his Lord led to his death, the yearly day of commemoration for Valentine never had anything to do with love until much later! In 1382, English poet Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a poet and mentioned how even birds find their mates around Valentine’s Day.
The poem (and a few others with similar topics released around that time) seemed to spark the thought of romantic love being equated with that time of year. Just a short time later in 1400, the King of France then called for an annual celebration of love to be held on February 14th, and the rest (as they say) is history!
Although many more legends abound concerning the origins of this special day, who Valentine was, and what he did while he was living back in the good old years of the 200s, what we do know is that Valentine’s Day has changed immensely from the first time it was celebrated!
Today, people like to celebrate with flowers, chocolates, dinner dates, cards, and more. However, we think you should kick back, turn on your favorite K-drama, and enjoy these ten Korean snacks and junk foods instead of the traditional chocolates and candies others will be overloading on this week!
1. O’Jelly Gummy Candy – Grape
Koreans love jelly candy, so why not try some kind of jelly candy this Valentine’s Day? Whether jelly cups, gummies, or jelly straws, there are so many types of jellies and gummies to try! Although fruit-flavored jellies are always popular, you can even find yogurt or ginseng-flavored jelly candies. Another popular trend in Korean candy is grape-flavored items, so why not combine the two and try these soft, grape gummy candies called O’Jelly? They also come in green grape too.
2. Choco-Pie – Banana
Chances are that you have already tried one of Korea’s famous Choco-Pies! Even if you’ve never tried one, almost every drama fan has seen a scene with a character giving themselves a makeshift birthday cake out of a Choco-Pie with a single candle. Don’t limit yourself to the original chocolate flavor (which has been imitated by many brands and similar cakes). Try some of the other flavors, including this yummy banana! You can also try black sugar milk tea, green tea, and cacao.
3. Kancho Choco Biscuits
hese cute Kancho Choco Biscuits have adorable faces and messages of love, making them perfect for Valentine’s Day. They’re small and perfect for kids (or adults). The taste is similar to the popular, chocolate-filled Hello Panda snack from another brand which are also popular worldwide.
4. Pepero – White Cookie
Although I personally love the green tea-flavored sticks from Pocky, Pepero can’t be beat in my mind when it comes to their white cookie sticks. Other Pepero flavors include the traditional choco, choco cookie, and almond choco. Grab a box for Valentine’s Day and play Korea’s famous Pepero game to make this Valentine’s Day extra sweet!
5. Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snack – BBQ Flavor
If you’re not big on sweets, I’m also here to give you options for your non-sweet tooth. If you just don’t want candy, chocolates, or sugar, them try something savory. What better way to do so than with a Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snack? Although it comes in several different flavors, I like the BBQ. If you’ve ever wondered what eating uncooked ramen is like, try this snack. But first, smash it, then pour the seasoning powder over the noodle. If nothing else, you’ll like to eat this snack while thinking of the hilarious SHINee commercial they did for the snack years ago (and the hijinks that ensued when they famously reenacted it). Sing it with me now! “Krump, krump…”
6. Honey Twist Snack
Here’s another random fact about Valentine. Since his original days upon the earth, the Catholic church (among others) have seen fit to name him patron saint of various things. One of the things he is patron saint of is beekeepers! That’s why this Honey Twist Snack is indeed the perfect snack for Valentine’s Day. Share this mild and delicious snack at school or the office, then drop that random fact of knowledge to impress your friends. Bonus points if you can then spend the rest of the day annoying said friends with super cringey jokes about bees for the rest of the day (ex. “Bee my Valentine,” “So tired! Such a buzzy day,” “You’re pollen my leg,” etc.).
7. Cosmos Strawberry Corns
We can’t go a full Valentine’s Day without something pink or red! Strawberry Corns (as strange as that sounds) are simply corn puffs with pink coloring and strawberry flavoring. It’s perhaps geared more towards kids, but if you like Fruit Loops or cereal puffs, then you will know pretty much what this tastes like. I know I can’t be the only fully grown adult who gets a handful of cereal like Cheerios to munch on, so maybe that’s why some random person decided to invent this snack.
8. Mini Yakgwa
If our last snack was geared towards the inner child, this snack should make you feel a bit more elegant and grown up. Yakgwa is a traditional Korean candy that has been around since the Later Silla era (668-935 A.D.). First being used in religious rites, it was later enjoyed by royals and aristocrats. It wasn’t until much later that this “honey cookie” was able to be enjoyed by people of all classes and households. This bag of mini-yakgwa contains individually-wrapped cookies about the size of a quarter. Although it’s not a “cookie” by most Westerners’ definition of the word, there isn’t really any way to accurately describe the texture of yakgwa until you taste it. However, these mini-yakgwa can give you a pretty nice example of the traditional yakgwa’s mild honey flavor.
9. Ghana Milk Chocolate Bar
LOTTE was first started in Japan by a Korean who had moved there to study during the war. After starting one successful business there, he used that money to start LOTTE— which began producing chewing gum! The company took off and quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the confectionery industry. However, in 1964, the company released its first chocolate product: the Ghana Milk Chocolate Bar. The chocolate proved to be a huge hit and was a breakthrough for the company. Meanwhile, LOTTE also established branches in Korea. Due to political issues, the company transferred its headquarters back to Korea where it later grew into a massive corporation. However, the confectionary part of the corporation has always remained a huge part of the business and the Ghana chocolate bar has continued to be a popular chocolate bar in both Japan and Korea.
10. Peach Soju or Demisoda with Peanut and Squid Balls
For those of you who aren’t happy about being alone on Valentine’s Day, we have something special on the list! You can still think pink with peach-flavored soju (just make sure to drink responsibly!) paired with peanut and squid balls for a salty drinking snack. If you’re not a drinker, just imitate the “drinking solo” mood with Korea’s yummy, peach-flavored carbonated DemiSoda. What next? Kick back and watch your favorite K-drama character as they act out a similar scene of heartbreak too!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
No matter which snack you try this Valentine’s Day, we at What The Kpop hope you enjoy a fun, safe, and happy day! Treat yourself with some well-deserved R&R— you’re worth it!
Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to us @whatthekpop1 or leaving us a comment on Facebook and Instagram!
Media: LOTTE, Nongshim, Orion, Jinro, Demisoda, OTTOGI
Featured Image: What The Kpop, Park Bo Gum for LOTTE Ghana
*None of the products listed in this article are sponsored.