Shopping at H-Mart is unlike any other shopping experience. At least, for me, a white girl who grew up knowing nothing other than Kroger and Target. In case you didn’t know, H-Mart is filled to the brim with Asiansnacks that satisfy. Today, I’m breaking down the best ones from my recent grocery store trip, so you can discover the sweets and savory snacks of your dreams.
Where to buy Asian snacks?
You can buy Asian snacks from H-Mart, Amazon, Bokksu Market, Yami, Instacart, World Market, and even some larger grocery stores like Target and Walmart.
Shrimp Snacks
I am a longstanding shrimp chip lover, not going to lie. Just about every brand I’ve snacked on has hit all the right spots and cravings, and this one is no exception. These Marco Polo brand Shrimp Snacks are a prime example of why I love the snack so much – every single chip is light and airy, a quality that results in a delightful crunch sensation whenever you eat chow down.
Additionally, they’re not overly shrimp-y, which is soo nice when you can’t keep from grabbing for chip after chip. I think these would be exceptional with some sour cream and onion dip!
What are shrimp chips made of?
Shrimp chips are typically made from dried shrimp and tapioca flour. The powders are mixed with water to create a batter or dough before getting pressed into chip-like shapes and dried for consumption.
Sour Cream and Onion Sweet Corn Turtle Chips
Speaking of sour cream and onion, I happened to purchase these sweet corn chips, of which the friendly turtle character on the bag had much to do with. Upon opening the bag, I was fascinated by the shape of the chips. Each bite boasted an intricately folded chip, which, upon biting, were just as airy as the shrimp snacks.
If you love corn, you’ll adore these sweet corn-flavored chips. The added sour cream and onion flavoring surely wasn’t the star as promised, but I still thought they were amazing.
Rosé Tteok-bokki
Equal parts spicy and sweet, this tteok-bokki was made to take on the flavors of pink rosé pasta sauce. Tteok-bokki is a traditional Korean street food offering that’s just taken off with virality as of late. Essentially, it’s a dish made from small, cylindrical rice cakes that cook inside a gochujang-infused sauce – though, as this snack suggests, many cooks and home chefs have made the dish their own with different toppings.
I found this one to be the perfect workweek lunch, as it only took 10 minutes to make on the stovetop. The spice in it was always favorably balanced out by sweetness, and I truly could not get enough textural satisfaction from the chewy-soft rice cakes.
How do you pronounce tteok-bokki?
Check out this helpful video that shows you how to pronounce tteok-bokki.
Pepero Stick Snacks
As the literal twin of Pocky (IYKYK), these Pepero snack sticks caught my attention as I strolled the aisles of H-Mart. I picked up the Crunchy Chocolate and Sesame White flavors to try, primarily because 1. I love chocolate, and 2. I thought sesame was a very interesting choice to add to a sweet snack.
The Crunchy Chocolate ones surprised me with just how much chocolate coating there was. Sometimes, Pocky leaves me craving more chocolate because each stick only has so much coating on it. Each bite I took from this first box was straight-up heavenly!
The Sesame White variety carried a bit more nuance in the resulting flavor. I could definitely taste the sesame seeds, which were woven into the white chocolate coating. While I thought the tasting combo was captivating, I didn’t find myself reaching for stick after stick like I was treating the chocolate kind.
Canned Milk Tea
If there's one thing H-Mart is good at, it's being stocked up on all the yummy drinks. This checkered milk tea can caught my eye, and I figured since I am partially addicted to boba tea, that I’d like it, and it was worth checking out.
My first sip was super sweet, which isn’t something I’m totally opposed to. It was balanced between tea and milk, which was expected. The beverage didn’t knock me out of the park, but overall, it was enjoyable!
Sesame Mochi
I was fairly sussed out by this sesame mochi snack, mostly because they were stored in the pantry section, and not the freezer. Historically, I had only tried ice cream mochi, which is hard not to love. Captivated again by the inclusion of sesame in a seemingly sweet snack, I added this pick to my cart.
Even when I was just holding it, the texture of the mochi was really satisfying and soft. The same went for the mouthfeel, which was joined by crunchy white and black sesame seeds. This mochi snack was filled with a very umami black sesame paste, which turned out to be my favorite part of the bite! If you like your dessert to be sweet, but not *too* sweet, this bite-sized snack is for you.
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Photos by Meredith Holser.
This post has been updated.
