Haioreun Mellow Pumpkin bun: A surprising and interesting take on a sweet bun. Filled with sweet pumpkin (and similar in texture to red bean paste), the filling has a clear pumpkin flavor that also tasted a bit like cantaloupe. Altogether, though, the filling is 2x too sweet. The bun steams up well and is soft and neutral. 2.5/5.0
korean hmart haioreun mellow pumpkin bun 2.5
Organic Farm roasted chestnuts: I purchased two packs of roasted chestnuts from Hmart during a 2 for $3 sale. The last bag [https://instagram.com/p/7DXauqFIe7/] was unfavorably reviewed, mostly due to its slimy texture. This snacks veers in the opposite direction, with chestnuts that are on the dry side. Eaten with water, though, the chestnuts have superior flavor than the Haioreum bag, with a deeper, earthier flavor. Both bags list a single serving, but I found the bags really served at least 2. 2.5/5.0
organic chestnut hmart snack korean nuts 2.5 organicfarm roasted chestnuts
Golden Island Korean barbecue pork jerky: Like most Asian jerky (this one originated in Taiwan) the meat is covered in a sticky glaze, unlike American jerky, which tends to be dry seasoned. I expected some strong and spicy gochujang-like flavoring but instead got something more sweet than savory, almost like a meek teriyaki sauce. The pieces are also sprinkled with sesame seeds. Ultimately, not as authentic as I hoped it would be. 2.5/5.0
jerky goldenisland korean pork 2.5 barbecue
C Nature Choco Puff melon chocolate crunch cracker: A Korean snack combining puffed rice krispies with melon-flavored white chocolate. The melon-chocolate combination is pretty bizarre, and the cantaloupe flavor is concentrated but artificial. Puffed rice prevents the bars from being too dense. The box contained 4 individually wrapped pieces, each of which was fairly substantial (about 3" long). 2.5/5.0
munchpak cnature korean melon chocolate puffedrice 2.5 choco puff crunch cracker 2.5/5.0