The Mint Chocolate Craze is Taking Over South Korea!
I have a very important question to ask you: mint chocolate, yes or no?
If your answer is no, I'm sorry but we can't be friends 😤
Nah, I'm kidding. I'm 취존 (chwi-jon, short for 취향 존중, chwi-hyang jon-joong, which means to respect one's preferences) so alls good!
Last year, there was a debate in Korea on mint chocolate. Lovers swore by it, haters said the flavour tasted like toothpaste. This year, it seems like the minchodan (mint chocolate lovers) have won because South Korea is caught in a mincho (mint chocolate) frenzy!
Here are seven whacky mincho-flavoured products that you can find in Korea today!
Oreo
Image credit: Dong Suh Foods Corporation
Alright, let's start off with something that isn't too out of the ordinary yet. Oreo has experimented with a variety of different flavours in the past, so it makes sense that they would jump onto the mincho train too. Besides, the biscuit part of an Oreo is already chocolate so all they need is a mint filling! Probably the most tame of this entire list.
You can find mint chocolate Oreos here.
Chocopie
Image credit: Danawa
Yes, the all famous Chocopie decided to take a ride on the mincho train too! Like its name, the original and most well-known flavour for this iconic Korean snack is chocolate. But it has also experimented with other flavours like injelomi too! It makes sense that they would experiment with the flavour, since it's almost like adding mint to their original recipe (it's more complicated than that, of course).
You can find mint chocolate Chocopies here.
Coffee
Image credit: @kshoppa_sg on Instagram
KANU Coffee is an instant coffee brand own by Maxim, Korea's most popular instant coffee brand. KANU Coffee specialises in offering specialty coffee like those that you find in a café so it's no surprise that they too have developed their very own mint chocolate coffee! The coffee is light and not too bitter or sweet, with just the right amount of mint to make you feel like you're drinking a handcrafted concoction from a café.
You can find KANU Coffee's mint chocolate coffee here.
(P.S. The orders of KANU Coffee may be closed, but you can always send a request in for it to be opened again!)
Diet Shake
Image credit: Creatrip
If you have to go on a diet, might as well enjoy the diet shake that you're having, right? Nutri D-DAY has got you covered! Their diet shakes are known to taste like ice cream, but are packed full of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Each packet is 48.89% soybean protein, has eight types of vitamins, four types of minerals, and 4g of dietary fibre. Nutri D-DAY's diet shakes are meant to be consumed as breakfast, and can also be used to replace dinner if you're dieting towards a goal. What better way to start your day than with some mint chocolate?
You can find Nutri D-DAY's mint chocolate shake here.
Spread
Image credit: eatit.shop
Okay, we're venturing into the weirder side of mint chocolate food now... Gentle Plan, a brand known for their funky spread flavours (think: rosemary strawberry, or lady grey milk tea) has introduced their newest flavour to date: mint chocolate! As weird as it sounds, I'd imagine it taste something like... minty Nutella.
You can find Gentle Plan's mint chocolate spread here.
Soju
Image credit: Muhak
You were probably expecting this. The eerie mint liquid of Muhak's Mint Chocolate Soju might look daunting but this YouTuber says that it doesn't taste that bad! He claims that it tastes like a spoonful of mint chocolate chip ice cream with was mixed with a cup of soju — while there is the sweetness of the chocolate, the mint makes it refreshing. It does, however, taste a little bit like mouthwash so if you're someone who's on the fence of mincho (although usually, you either love it or hate it) how much you like it probably depends on what you associate it with: mouthwash? Or ice cream?
Currently, you can't find Muhak's mint chocolate soju in Singapore. But you can send in a request to K Shoppa and they might bring it in to Singapore for you!
Almonds
Image credit: Shopee
If this snack looks familiar to you, it's because it was featured previously in our piece on unique Korean snacks to try! The idea of mixing the light and slightly savoury taste of almond with the heavier, sweet taste of mint chocolate is still something my mind is struggling to understand. But hey, sometimes the weirdest combinations are the ones that taste the best!
You can find Tom's Farm's mint chocolate almonds here.
Minchodans unite! Are you up to try these mincho snacks? Let us know about any mincho snacks you've tried in the comments below! You can also send in a request to K Shoppa to bring in some of your favourite mincho snacks to Singapore over at their Instagram.