13 Must-Try Korean Candies

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South Korea — the land of K-pop, K-dramas, and delicious food. It’s also the land of sweet and unique candies that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. From the more traditional sweets like dalgona (not to be confused with fluffy dalgona coffee) to the more modern MyChew and even hallabong chocolate, there is a Korean candy for just about every taste. That’s why we’ve put together a list of 13 Korean candies that you need to try at least once.

Many of the most popular candies and treats are from major companies like CJ Cheiljedang and Lotte, though there are some smaller companies as well. When you’re in Korea, you can easily find sweets at every convenience store. For those of us on the other side of the world, you can find these treats quite easily online. Check out Amazon and other online shops that you might not have heard of before, like World Market, a store that carries a wide selection of international treats.

I spent almost 15 years living and working in Seoul, so I’ve had my fair share of Korean candy. And of course, I have my favorites, each of which is tied to a unique memory, whether it was co-workers handing me lemon ginseng hard candies when I was under the weather or my friends creating birthday cakes out of choco pies because we all forgot to pick up a cake (you’d be surprised how often that happened). So, read on and find out about some tasty Korean treats that you should definitely give a try.

Chung Podo was one of my favorite Korean candies, mostly because I love grapes and I love hard candies. It’s a pretty simple concept — grape flavored hard candy, kind of similar to Jolly Ranchers, though they have a different texture. They’re a smooth, oval-shaped candy, which makes them easier to eat than Ranchers. Chung Podo are pretty much everywhere and were a favorite to hand out to the kiddos during Halloween parties at school or English academies. I would often keep a bag at my office to snack on in the afternoons when I started to get sleepy.

The more popular types of these candies are made by Lotte, but again, they are ubiquitous. You can find grape hard candy made by a lot of different brands, both big and small. I’m partial to the Lotte ones, though there isn’t a huge difference between them and others.

The history of these candies is primarily unknown, mostly because they’ve been around so long. However, grapes have long been a commonly used food item in Korea. They are known to grow Concord grapes in the country, and in recent years, wineries have started popping up. If you love grape or fruit flavors, I definitely recommend giving Chung Podo a try, such as the Haetae K-Food Green Grape Hard Candy.

Every person, whether Korean or foreign, does not come back from Jeju Island without a box of Jeju hallabong chocolate. It’s kind of a rule, judging from the fact that it is a very popular souvenir. I’m not exaggerating when I say that every co-worker I have ever had who took a weekend trip to Jeju always had a huge supply of these chocolates to pass around the office when they returned. I wouldn’t be surprised if people bought them in bulk, they are that good.

Once you taste hallabong chocolate, you’ll understand. Hallabong is a type of tangerine that is grown on Jeju, typically on the slopes of Halla Mountain, and the island is very proud of it (almost as proud as they are about the lava tubes and Jeju soju). You’ll find a variety of food products flavored with hallabong, but their chocolates are by far my favorite. There is something about the smooth blend of chocolate with a citrusy, almost orange flavor that tastes so good.

There is no one specific brand for Hallabong chocolate — again, they are popular and made by a lot of companies. I personally like the ones that are shaped like dol hareubang, or “stone grandfathers.” These stone statues litter the island of Jeju and are carved from volcanic rock. It’s not really known how they came to be; they’ve just always been there. Like the hanyeo (Korean women divers), they are considered a symbol of the island.

MyChew is kind of like South Korea’s version of Starbust, being that it is a fruit-flavored, soft chew type of candy. It is another favorite candy for classroom Halloween parties, at least the ones that I have been to. MyChew’s Soft Chewing Candy melts as you chew, though, in my experience, they can sometimes be a little bit on the hard side.

They have a variety of flavors, though the most common are grape, peach, strawberry, and apple. I personally enjoyed the combo flavors, like orange and yogurt. It was like having an orange sherbet chew that was very yummy. This was another candy that I would sometimes keep stocked at my office to give me a little something to snack on while slaving away at the computer. They’re really pretty tasty, as long as you don’t get one that’s been left out for a long time, making it harder to chew.

I was a huge fan of the butterscotch candies that my great-grandmothers always kept in their purses. So, when I discovered Korea had almond candy that was essentially almonds wrapped in butterscotch, it was fate. A co-worker had brought a bunch of candy to the office to share, and I was late to the game. A bag of almond candy was one of the last ones up for grabs, so I took a chance. I was not expecting them to be as good as they were.

There’s just something about the delicious crunch of these candies, along with the blend of the sweet nuttiness of the almonds and the smooth butteriness of butterscotch. They could even be a great addition to your next charcuterie board alongside top-ranked chocolate-covered almonds.

The most popular brand for almond candy in South Korea is Orion, which is another major treat maker. While they are best known for their choco pies — and often battle it out with Lotte over those — they have a long line of tasty Korean candies to try out as well, including Orion’s Whole Almond Candy.

Korean red ginseng is a very popular root plant that South Koreans use in everything from herbal supplements to tea. And yes, they do have red ginseng candy as well. Pretty much every halmoni (grandmother) will tell you to eat ginseng to cure every ill, from the cold to menopause. It’s not a huge leap to understand why sweets like Ilkwang Korean Red Ginseng Candy would be popular.

Some have said that these candies give them little energy boosts, which is why they keep them on hand. In fact, ginseng is a one of the natural drinks that can give the same boost as coffee, so it’s not a stretch to assume the candy could be the same. They also don’t have a powerfully overwhelming taste, being slightly earthy with a hint of honey.

I personally can’t attest to their ability to give energy boosts or help with your gut health, as I wasn’t a big fan and didn’t eat them regularly enough. That said, they are a more traditional candy from South Korea, so they’re definitely something to try at least once. And maybe they do give you a little jumpstart in the afternoons when you’re getting sleepy.

While the rest of the world was introduced to Dalgona Korean Sugar Straw Candy during Netflix’s popular series “Squid Game,” it has been a popular candy for decades in South Korea. It is widely available in stores, though I predominantly ate dalgona as a street food while walking around Myeongdong or Dongdaemun, two of the biggest shopping centers in Seoul. There’s nothing like having a freshly made dalgona, but the store-bought ones are pretty tasty too. 

And no, I didn’t try to pop out the shapes with a toothpick or eat around them, though, yes, that is a popular pastime of kiddos. I was too impatient for that and typically chomped down my dalgona pretty quickly. You’ll understand once you try it.

Dalgona was a popular street snack before it became available in grocery stores, and many Koreans still like to make their own. It’s essentially sugar melted with baking powder. A shape is then pressed into it before it hardens. The taste is similar to toffee or caramel, and it always reminded me a bit of peanut brittle without the peanuts.

Lemon and ginger are both very popular ingredients for a lot of items in South Korea, including tea, so it’s not much of a surprise that Songwa created their Lemon Ginger Hard Candy. These little candies have the perfect blend of warm spiciness and tang, and they’re actually pretty good when you have an upset stomach or other ailments. Ginger is a common ingredient in many foods and supplements in South Korea, though one of the best ways to use fresh ginger is in jam. It’s also used in a lot of beauty products as well.

When I worked in radio in South Korea, my co-worker always had these in her desk drawer for when someone had a sore throat or the sniffles. I’m a big fan of lemon ginger tea when I have a sore throat, though the combo is mostly noted for helping with nausea and settling your tummy. The two flavors work together to make my throat feel warm and relaxed. However, these candies are great even if you’re not feeling under the weather. Because they have the lemon, you’re not overwhelmed by the ginger and vice versa.

Maesil is another fruit that is famous and widely used across Korea, and it’s the main ingredient in Hong Ssang Ri Korean Maesil Candy. Maesil is also known as the Asian plum in English. It’s used in cooking oils, teas, and wines, as well as in candy. It’s often preserved and used to make an extract because the flavor is too tangy on its own to be eaten raw. Not to mention, there can possibly be toxins in the seeds. Rest assured — it’s maesil extract that’s used to flavor this tangy hard candy.

Like many areas in South Korea, those that are known as big maesil growers are very proud of their crops. One of these regions is South Jeolla Province, which is a huge producer of maesil. One of the biggest producers of maesil hard candy — Hong Ssang Ri — grows their maesil in this region as well. Maesil hard candy has a tart, yet somehow sweet flavor. It’s definitely not like anything you’ve tasted before, and it’s one of those unique South Korean candies that you really just have to try to understand.

Is Lotte the only Korean company that makes chocolate? Absolutely not. Does it make chocolate that you need to try? Yes, it does. Lotte Dream Cacao Dark Chocolate is to die for. It is a very popular gift bought on Valentine’s Day and White Day, and people often keep little canisters on their desks at work. It comes in little cube shapes, making them the perfect size to just pop into your mouth.

They come in varying degrees of darkness, too. You can get 56%, 72%, or 82%, depending on how dark you enjoy your chocolate. If you’re a K-drama fan, it’s likely you’ve seen your favorite characters chomping down on these treats throughout.

Dream Cacao was first released in 2006 and has a high content of cocoa. This is a bit healthier than regular chocolate, with a study saying that chocolate with 70% or more cocoa has more health benefits. It can help with growing good bacteria in your gut and has more antioxidants than both green tea and red wine. However, not all dark chocolate is the same, and there are some dark chocolate brands you’ll want to avoid (not Dream Cacao, thankfully). So, not only is Dream Cacao a tasty treat, but it’s also good for you.

In case you need more proof that K-dramas influence the popularity of snacks in South Korea, look no further than Kopiko Coffee Candy. This candy has been making the rounds of popular shows, such as “Atypical Family,” “Taxi Driver 2,” and “Marry My Husband.” This has driven up sales and created a bit of a frenzy around the treat, though it’s not the first food to do this. Chimaek (fried chicken and beer), instant ramyeon noodles, and more have become super popular after being featured in big K-dramas.

As an Indonesian brand, Kopiko is not exactly a South Korean candy, but you wouldn’t know that from the way people go on about it. They are very popular among office workers, who say they offer a little caffeine pick-me-up when things get slow or they’re feeling sleepy. Kopiko contains Java coffee beans and is a hard candy. It’s kind of like a tiny cup of coffee that you can pop in your mouth and chew on when you need a little kick. Considering that Koreans are pretty in love with their coffee (trust me, there are at least three cafés on every block in Seoul), you can understand why and how Kopiko rose in popularity. The good news is that the popularity of Kopiko is spreading around the world, so it’s now available in more than 80 countries. This means you can likely pick up a bag and snack on your favorite K-drama character’s favorite candy, too.

Continuing with the trend of fruity hard candy, let me introduce you to jadu hard candy, otherwise known as plum hard candy. Before you get confused, this is a different flavor than maesil, as it uses the type of plum that we’re more used to, rather than the Asian plum. This round hard candy is sweet, but not too sweet, and it isn’t as tangy as maesil. They are large and can take a while to eat; however, this makes it great if you want a sweet treat but maybe don’t want to overindulge. It also contains vitamin E, an antioxidant.

The most popular type of jadu happens to be Haitai Plum Hard Candy. The brand Haitai has been in the business for decades and was founded back in 1945. These candies come individually wrapped within the main bag, making them easier to carry around with you. I will admit that I’ve only had these candies a few times, and while tasty, they didn’t really stick out to me. Regardless, they are fairly popular, and it’s worth it to give them a try, especially if you’re a fan of fruity candy. 

While this is similar to MyChew in the sense that it’s another chewy candy, Saekomdalkom is still rather different. While MyChew is like Starburst, Saekomdalkom is more like Laffy Taffy. It comes in long, thin strips that you can break down into smaller parts or just gnaw on. There a variety of fruity flavors to choose from, and each one packs a good punch. Crown Sweet and Sour Assorted Chew Candy is a great option, so you can try all the popular flavors like lemonade, strawberry, grape, and peach.

These are nostalgic candies, having been around longer than MyChew, our other soft and chewy candy on the list. My Korean friends said they’ve been eating (and loving) them since they were little kids at school. They still appear to be a favorite among school children today, given how quickly they disappeared at the last party I attended at an English academy. Trust me when I say that those things were gone in a flash. Also, like other candies on our list, you can find them in pretty much any store in South Korea. Luckily, those outside of Korea can also find them at Asian markets or online, too.

The last entry on the list, though certainly not the least, is Ilkwang’s Peanut Caramel Candy. This is a caramel and peanut flavored chew, which, if you ask us, is one of the best flavor combos — aside from mixing cocoa powder into your peanut butter, of course. I’ve mostly seen this candy at offices, sitting in candy bowls in lobbies, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. They are soft chew candies that perfectly blend these two rich flavors.

The peanut candy is made by Ilkwang Confectionery, which is another well-known candy and sweet brand in South Korea. Established in 1969, the company exclusively makes jelly and candy. Beyond this type of peanut candy, they make three other kinds of peanut and caramel treats that are just as good. Try just this one, or try them all. You won’t be disappointed either way. They are all very delicious and worth tasting. It’s definitely a South Korean candy that you need in your pantry.