The 8 Best Asian Snacks, Ranked
The Asian snack aisle is one of the great joys of any H Mart or 99 Ranch run: shelves of chocolate biscuit sticks, chewy candy, salted-egg chips, and corn puffs that come with their own folklore. These are the best Asian snacks we could find, eight of them, spanning Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, India, and the Philippines, sweet and savory both, from the gateway snacks everyone knows to a few that deserve a wider audience.
| # | Snack | Origin | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pocky | Japan | Sweet · biscuit sticks | The gateway snack |
| 2 | Hi-Chew | Japan | Fruit candy | Chewy fruit candy |
| 3 | Orion Choco Pie | Korea | Sweet · cake | Nostalgia in a box |
| 4 | Irvins Salted Egg | Singapore | Savory chips | The salted-egg obsession |
| 5 | Honey Butter Chips | Korea | Sweet-savory chips | Sweet and salty |
| 6 | Kuai Kuai | Taiwan | Savory corn puffs | Crunch (and good luck) |
| 7 | Haldiram’s | India | Savory namkeen | Spiced crunch |
| 8 | Boy Bawang | Philippines | Savory corn nuts | Garlicky crunch |
1. Pocky
The one that introduced much of the world to the Asian snack aisle. Glico’s chocolate-dipped biscuit sticks have been around since 1966, and the no-sticky-fingers design is half the genius. The flavor range is enormous, from strawberry and matcha to crushed almond, but the original chocolate is still the one. If you buy a single Asian snack, start here.
2. Hi-Chew
Morinaga’s soft, taffy-like fruit chews pack an intense, real-fruit punch that most Western candy cannot touch. They were created in 1975 as a chewable alternative to gum, since spitting gum out was considered rude, so the whole thing could be swallowed. Mango, green apple, and grape are the cult favorites, and the flavor lineup runs into the hundreds.
3. Orion Choco Pie
Two soft cakes, a marshmallow center, a chocolate coating: the Choco Pie is a Korean lunchbox and gift-tin staple, and a genuine cultural phenomenon across Asia. Orion’s version, launched in 1974, is the icon, moist and fluffy in a way that makes the American comparison points feel like cardboard. It is nostalgia you can buy by the box.
4. Irvins Salted Egg
The snack that turned salted egg yolk into a global craze. Singapore’s Irvins coats potato chips and fish skins in a rich, buttery, curry-leaf-and-chili salted-egg seasoning that lives up to its “dangerously addictive” tagline. It started at a Singapore seafood restaurant in the mid-2010s and now has fans lining up from Manila to Los Angeles.
5. Honey Butter Chips
When Haitai released these sweet-and-salty potato chips in South Korea in 2014, they set off nationwide shortages and a genuine resale market. The honey-and-butter flavor sounds odd and tastes perfect, the snack that proved sweet chips could be a phenomenon. Still worth the hype a decade on.
6. Kuai Kuai
Taiwan’s puffed corn snack has been around since 1968, most famously in butter-coconut. But Kuai Kuai is as much talisman as treat: because its name means “behave,” Taiwanese offices leave green bags of it on top of servers and machines so the equipment will behave too. Even chipmakers like TSMC do it. A genuinely good corn puff with the best backstory on this list.
7. Haldiram’s
India’s snack titan, and the entry into a whole universe of namkeen: crunchy chickpea-flour mixes, bhujia, spiced peanuts, and more. Savory, warmly spiced, and impossible to eat by the handful just once. If your snack instincts run spicy rather than sweet, this is your aisle.
8. Boy Bawang
The Philippines’ beloved cornick: corn kernels fried until glassy and crunchy, then hit hard with garlic. Salty, garlicky, and impossible to stop eating, it is a road-trip and get-together staple across the country. The name literally means “garlic boy,” and it delivers.
Where to buy the best Asian snacks
H Mart, 99 Ranch, and most Asian grocery stores carry all of these, and Weee ships them nationwide. Subscription boxes like Bokksu curate a rotating selection if you want to discover more, and the biggest names, Pocky and Hi-Chew especially, now turn up in regular supermarkets and drugstores.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular Asian snack?
Pocky is the most globally recognized, with Hi-Chew and Choco Pie close behind. All three have crossed over well beyond Asian groceries into mainstream stores.
Are Asian snacks sweet or savory?
Both, and this list splits the difference. Pocky, Hi-Chew, and Choco Pie lead the sweet side; Irvins, Kuai Kuai, Haldiram’s, and Boy Bawang carry the savory, with Honey Butter Chips bridging the two.
Where can I buy Asian snacks online?
Weee ships a wide selection nationwide, Amazon stocks most of the big brands, and curated boxes like Bokksu are good for discovery.
This rounds out our grocery-aisle trilogy, alongside the best spicy instant ramen and the best Taiwanese frozen dumplings.
