As an Asian American, I grew up going to Asian grocery stores so I have a lot of experience when it comes to Asian snacks. There are always so many varieties of different snacks that you can’t find at a normal grocery store. It can be intimidating and hard to know what is good or not if you are unfamiliar with what is available. Here are some childhood classics that everyone should try from an Asian grocery store.
Yakult
You might have heard of this drink from Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Yakult is a sweet drink, normally found in little packs of five. They should be found in the refrigerated drinks section. They’re not always the brand Yakult, but I find everyone calls it Yakult even if it’s off-brand. A lot of Asians associate this drink with their childhood, as do I.
Honey Butter Chips
These chips are so delicious. They have a sweeter flavor, but these are so good! I think more Koreans know about these chips because they are a Korean brand. These are perfect for any occasion and definitely worth trying, as the honey butter flavor is so unique. You won’t find anything like these chips.
Shrimp Chips
Perhaps the shrimp part deters you from trying these, but the shrimp flavor is very subtle. These are crunchy and straw-shaped. I would always get these with my brothers and we would share the whole bag. This was a treat for us and it could be a treat for you too.
Aloe Drink
This light, sweet drink is a childhood comfort food. It comes with small, chewy little bits of aloe. You can buy the big aloe to share with friends and family or you can get the individual bottles. Get the original, without other flavors, and relish the taste of refreshing aloe.
Senbei Crackers and Wang Wang Snow Cookies
In my head, these two crackers go together. They are rice crackers that are individually wrapped with two pieces each. Senbei crackers are salty while Wang Wang snow cookies are sweet. These are perfect snacks for a little cheer-up between classes because they’re easy to carry around. They come in big packs, so they tend to last awhile, unless you’re like me and my brothers, devouring the whole pack within a couple of days.
Ppushu Ppushu Noodle Snack
This snack is known to be like edible uncooked ramen noodles. You can choose to break up the noodle into smaller pieces or leave them bigger. They come with a flavor packet, so you can shake the noodles in the pack to coat every noodle with seasoning. The experience is a big part of this snack.
Melona Ice Cream Bars
Melona ice cream bars are melon-flavored popsicles. There are probably other flavors, too, like mango, but the melon flavor is my favorite because you can’t find this flavor in the US at all. It’s creamy, sweet, and refreshing. Overall, this is the perfect dessert after a meal like Korean BBQ.
These are my favorite snacks from an Asian grocery store. I encourage you to be courageous and try something new and different because there are so many options and you never know what could happen. I hope you try some of my recommendations and have fun shopping at an Asian grocery store!