Salt and Lemon Baumkuchen: Ever had a salted lemon flavored cake? I hadn't up to this point in my life, and I wish I had. This import from Japan is very well balanced, with a concentrated acidic flavor. Like most Japanese pastries, it's lightly sweetened. Texture is a bit dense but not dry. Honestly better than many fresh cakes I've had. 4.0/5.0
recommended hmart japanese baumkuchen lemon saltedlemon cake dessert sweets 4.0 salt
Korean wheat flour crackers: When I saw this bag on the shelf, it reminded me sachima, a Chinese pastry composed of soft fried flour, butter, and sugar (and often raisins). I purchased this bag to see what the Korean version would taste like. Despite the nutrition facts, which state that this contains 0g of sugar, the snack is very sweet. (Also, sugar is one of only four listed ingredients). The crackers are dense and quite hard to bite into, a factor that could be an issue for anyone with dental problems. Some pieces a... (read more) 3.0/5.0
korean ricecracker sachima hmart 3.0 wheat flour crackers
Befco Nori-flavored Bakauke Rice Crackers: This is my first time eating Bakauke, a Japanese rice snack with a glazed exterior and oblong shape. The type I purchased from Hmart was flavored with soy sauce and nori. While the seaweed flavor was distinctive, the soy sauce was overpowering and made the crackers salty overall. 2.5/5.0
hmart japanese ricecrackers befco nori-flavored bakauke rice crackers 2.5
Bibgo Seaweed Crisps: I broke the first rule of purchasing snacks at an ethnic grocery store (buy products with the least amount of English). Still, Bibgo is a Seoul-based company, lending it some credibility. This snack is unique with its combination of normally soft seaweed with a crisp rice cracker backing. The chips are surprisingly sweet, and initially, I liked the snack a lot. The more I ate, though, the more the rice flavor dominated. I would have preferred better balance with more seaweed flavor. A bag ha... (read more) 3.0/5.0
bibgo seaweed korean hmart 3.0 crisps instafood
Bingrae Original Crab Chips: I'm pretty sure Bingrae is like the Kraft Foods of Korea, with a hand in all types of packaged food products from banana-flavored milk to ice cream bars to ready-made meals. These crab chips are especially notable because of their unique shape, which look like little puffed wheat crabs. They are baked rather than fried but still have a satisfying junk food taste, seasoned with a combination of garlic powder and crab flavoring and with a touch of heat. I would definitely buy it again. Pur... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended hmart bingrae original crab chips 4.0