Grocery Shopping in Seoul

One of things I enjoy doing when visiting a foreign country is wandering around a local grocery store. For one thing, you can find better deals on local favorites. Secondly, it offers a unique glimpse at the local culture. I'm always dragging visiting friends and family to the nearest Lotte or Emart in Seoul. Not everyone's always as gleeful about the free samples, the buy 1 get 1 free deals, or exotic fare like larvae in a can or steamed egg-tofu, but I'm pretty sure no one's regretted going. In fact, they always leave with bagful of goodies.

I was at Emart today oohing and ahhing over the "cocktail cucumbers", mini cucumbers that fit in the palm of my hand, when I realized that I need to share all the cool groceries I encounter in Korea. Thus, I've created a Pinterest board to help me share all the nifty little grocery finds that I think tourists and/or folks new to Korea may find helpful for your next visit to a mega-mart in Seoul.

Forget kimchi chocolate or rice cakes from Insadong. If you're wondering what to sort of souvenirs to take back home to share with family friends, check out my "Korean Groceries" board on Pinterest.