4 Most Popular Korean Chips You Must Try In 2023 | Popular Korean Snacks 

Looking at all the Korean snacks in Kdramas makes your mouth water? Here are the most popular Korean chips you must try. These include traditional Korean snacks and stuff you can find on Amazon!

Have you ever looked at the Korean food characters eat in Kdramas and wondered “Wow I wonder what that tastes like?”. 

Well you don’t have to wonder for long, as I’m going to list out a few Korean snacks you can easily find in either your local Korean supermarket or the internet. 

Let’s start off with the most popular chips you must try. These delectable, crispy snacks are just the thing you need to munch on while binge watching.

While there are more traditional Korean snacks like gimbap or tteokbokki that you can try, these involve some amount of cooking or preparation.

And if you haven’t got time or patience for that you can just stockpile on these chips instead. 

Most Popular Korean Chips	Type of Flavor	MSG-Free
Haitai Calbee Honey Butter Chips	Honey Butter	No
Nongshim Snacks, Spicy Shrimp Cracker	Shrimp	Yes
Korea Seasoned Dried Squid Snack Squid Over Flower	Shrimp	No
CALBEE Shrimp Chips	Dried Shrimp	No

Finally trying the korean chips #Trending pic.twitter.com/DtkPOJWJpl

— Ocean #loosingfollowers (@Oceaneditz1) August 9, 2023

How I taste-tested these popular Korean snacks and chips?

Okay, so snacks are serious business for me. So I took my time taste-testing each of these chips and then rated them on a scale of 1-5. I looked at the following factors while “testing” (or rather feasting) on these snacks.

Taste – Quite obvious really. The yummiest snack gets 5 out of 5! But since tastes differ I looked at the spice levels, if the flavor is just right or too overpowering and if the snack will appeal to a majority of people. 

Health Factor – I know, looking for “health” in snacks is a bit too much. But still I checked the ingredients for sodium levels, if there is added MSG or harmful preservatives and such. 

Price and Quantity – Okay here me out. Snacks that run out easily are no fun. So I looked to see if the chips contain a good amount especially for the price they are sold at. 

Popular Korean Chips Brands

What kind of different Korean chips are popular?

Korean snacks, including chips, are known for their unique flavors and innovative combinations.

1. Seaweed Chips: Thin and crispy chips made from roasted seaweed sheets, often seasoned with various flavors like sesame, spicy, or teriyaki.
2. Sweet Potato Chips: Thin slices of sweet potato that are fried or baked until crisp and often seasoned with flavors like honey or cinnamon.
3. Shrimp Chips: These chips are made from ground shrimp and starch, resulting in a light and airy texture. They come in various flavors, including original, spicy, and garlic.
4. Rice Chips: Made from rice or rice flour, these chips can have various flavors and textures. They might be light and airy or thicker and more substantial.
5. Kimchi Chips: Inspired by the popular Korean side dish, these chips are flavored with the distinct tangy and spicy taste of kimchi.
6. Tteokbokki Chips: Modeled after the popular Korean street food, tteokbokki chips capture the sweet and spicy flavors of the dish.
7. Jjajang Chips: These chips are flavored after jjajangmyeon, a Korean-Chinese black bean noodle dish, and carry a savory and slightly sweet taste.
8. Hot Chicken Flavor Chips: Inspired by the famous Korean spicy chicken dish, these chips mimic the fiery flavors of Korean hot chicken.
9. Wasabi Chips: These chips offer a spicy kick with the distinct flavor of wasabi, a popular Japanese condiment.
10. Choco Pie Chips: Blending sweet and salty, these chips feature the flavors of the iconic Korean Choco Pie snack.
11. Honey Butter Chips: A sensation a few years back, these chips combined sweet and savory flavors with a rich buttery taste.

Remember that trends in snacks can change rapidly, and new flavors are frequently introduced. To get the most accurate and up-to-date information, it’s always a good idea to consult current sources or try visiting Korean grocery stores or online retailers specializing in Korean snacks.

Haitai Calbee Honey Butter Chips

These Honey Butter Chips are so popular in South Korea. I decided to try them out after seeing a video of BTS’ Jimin having it in a video. 

And frankly I’m so glad I tried these chips because they are delicious. The honey and butter combination is so unique but so great! 

I also like how crunchy and thin these potato chips are. In my opinion these are the perfect snack item. 

Coming to the healthiness of these chips…well they are salted potato chips you cannot expect them to be superfoods. But as far as Korean snacks go these are actually pretty healthy.

The sodium in each 1oz (about 28g) pack is about 160mg, which is about 7 percent of the total amount that humans can have each day without it getting detrimental to health. It’s also got zero trans fats which is a great thing!

However I would like to point out that these chips contain monosodium glutamate or MSG. So if you’re someone who is sensitive to this ingredient you should consume it in moderation.

Pros:

• There is zero trans fats in these chips
• The honey butter flavor is delicious
• You get good quantity for the price offered

Cons:

• Contains MSG that can trigger sensitivities in a lot of people
• Contains lactose, gluten and trace amounts of nuts so it should be avoided by people allergic to these items.

My Ratings:

• Taste – 4.5/5
• Health Factor – 4/5
• Quantity and Price – 4.5/5

Nongshim Snacks, Spicy Shrimp Cracker

Look, I’m a huge fan of Nongshim snacks, including their instant ramen noodles, so I was really excited to try out these shrimp crackers. 

It might not be for everyone but I do love seafood. And these crackers did not disappoint. I ordered quite a few of them and used them as toppings on salads and even as a side dish with other seafood dinners.

I did feel like certain shrimp cracker packets were not as flavorful as ones I had bought before. But I have a feeling that these were the “Americanized” versions with less spices. So be careful when you shop. 

All in all, taste wise these chips get a perfect score from me! 

Now coming to the ingredients I liked that it contained less carbs and almost no trans fats. 

The back of the packet says that there is 160mg of sodium in one serving of these chips. Which is almost 6% of the recommended amount as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans by the FDA restricts the amount of sodium for adults to about 2300mg per day. 

Pros:

• Very flavorful and has a delicious hot, spicy taste
• Crunchy texture that you can munch on all day

Cons:

• You get a strong shrimp scent when you first open the bag
• Contains gluten in form of wheat starch
• Not suited for vegetarians or vegans
• Price is a bit high 

My Ratings:

• Taste – 5/5
• Health Factor – 4.5/5
• Quantity and Price – 4/5 

• Related: Best Spicy Korean Ramen
• Related: Best Instant Jajangmyeon

Korea Seasoned Dried Squid Snack Squid Over Flower

Well, technically these aren’t “chips” as they aren’t fried or based on potato or any other carb. But these dried squid snacks are among the most popular Korean snacks out there. So it felt criminal not including them in this review.

I tried out these seasoned dried squid from the brand Han Yan and the results were….mixed to say the least. 

On one hand I simply adore the taste. I think the seasoning is perfect and contains the right amount of spices.

However, I just had one issue with these snacks. They are heavily overpriced. 

I was shocked to see only 10 pieces of squid in the pack that I had ordered. I had paid the same amount for 5 of Nongshim squid chip packets. So it felt like a total rip off. 

Pros:

• Excellent seasoning that isn’t too bland or too spicy
• It can be consumed directly without cooking

Cons:

• Contains some amounts of MSG
• Too costly and the quantity is also too little for the price 

My Ratings:

• Taste – 4.5/5
• Health Factor – 4.5/5
• Quantity and Price – 3/5

CALBEE Shrimp Chips

I really liked the Nongshim Shrimp chips so I wanted to check them out from different brands. So when I tried these Calbee Shrimp chips I thought they would be exactly the same as Nonghshim. 

But I was pleasantly surprised. These are much milder in flavor and the best part is that actually makes these chips better.

You don’t have that strong shrimp smell here that you get in the Nongshim chips. Actually, these are “shrimp-flavored” chips rather than being shrimp chips. 

Also, they are made of puffed wheat rather than sliced potato so you get a different texture and crunch while eating them. 

The downside to these chips is that they contain a tad more sodium than the Nongshim or the Calbee Honey Butter chips. They also contain MSG so these chips are definitely not the healthiest of the bunch. 

Pros:

• Light shrimp flavor that isn’t too overpowering
• Wheat puffed chips are not 

Cons:

• Contains MSG, wheat starch, peanuts, and shellfish so it’s not suitable for people with sensitivities 

My Ratings:

• Taste – 4.5/5
• Health Factor – 3.5/5
• Quantity and Price – 5/5

FAQs about Korean Snacks and Chips

Final Thoughts On The Most Popular Korean Snacks And Chips

If you’re up for a bit of experimenting then these flavorful Korean snacks should do your taste buds good. 

And the best part about these popular Korean chips is that they are so easily available online or in your grocery store. So you don’t have to book a plane ticket to South Korea to find your favorite dishes. 

Apart from these packaged snacks, there are traditional Korean snacks like tteokbokki , gimbap, ramyun, and more. 

You can try making these at home too as sauces and bases for these dishes are also available pre-packaged.

So the next time you’re watching a Kdrama you can have a little more immersive experience by trying out the snacks your favorite characters eat. 

Why You Should Trust Koreatruly?

All our editors including the author of this article, Song-i do extensive research on the products reviewed and recommended in the article. We also use these products ourself to give you accurate, first hand information without any prejudice or bias. Koreatruly has also got a team of medical reviewers and skincare experts to help give accurate advice and provide research-based facts concerning a product, its formulation or ingredients.

Also Read:

List Of Korean Ice Creams