Let’s Never Settle

Seoul, South Korea: What Korean convenience stores actually stock

A speciality shop full of sugar free snacks and zero calorie drinks, and the golden smoked eggs Koreans eat anywhere, trains included, without a smell.

Korean convenience stores deserve their reputation. Two shorts on what’s actually in them, one for the people cutting sugar and one for everybody else.

A shop stocked entirely with sugar-free versions of everything. Watch on YouTube

Finding sugar-free snacks in a Korean convenience store is easier than you’d think, and this speciality shop takes it further: zero-calorie drinks, diet-friendly meals and low-sugar versions of most everyday treats. Whether you’re cutting sugar or just curious, the range is surprisingly wide.

Korean smoked eggs, and why they're brown. Watch on YouTube

These golden smoked eggs are a proper Korean snack and you’ll find them in most convenience stores. People eat them anywhere, trains included, because they don’t smell at all, and you can order them for delivery like normal food, which is exactly what we did. They came out of Korean sauna culture, and it’s the long cooking that gives them the brown colour and the smoky taste.

Skip the airport snack aisle. The corner shop nearest your hotel is better.

More from this city in our Seoul story. There’s more from this trip on our YouTube channel, we film the real sights and sounds, no fluff. You’ll also find us on TikTok and Instagram.