Junk Food Nation, sorry if anyone experienced any loading delays last night – I was testing out a few new things on this blog.  Exciting stuff.  Also very exciting: the Olympic Opening Ceremonies are here!!!! I don’t know about you, but I remembered past Opening Ceremonies…very underwhelming.  And then in 2008, China came out and friggin’ blew my mind:

I mean, do you guys REMEMBER seeing this??? 2008 drummers in unison?  And during that rippling box portion of the ceremony – when PEOPLE came out of those boxes, my jaw DROPPED.  Holy eff.

So tonight, what does the UK have in store for us?

<blank stare>

Well…good luck, London!  We’ll all be watching (on tape delay in the US, mind you).

In the spirit of this international warm fuzziness, today’s junk food review comes from waaaay around the globe from reader Ashley F.  She’s a teacher who has been living in Korea since 2010, and wanted to contribute.  My answer? OF COURSE!  The more the merrier, ESPECIALLY when it comes to snacks around the globe.

She put together a bang-up review too, sampling the Bam Chal ddeok Cookie by the company CheongWoo, an international snack company that’s been around since 1986.  They make all kinds of weird-ass snacks, including “Alphabet biscuit: It is made of alphabet & numeral shape, can help studying for children.”  Yeah, ok.

Take it away, Ashley!

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Picking a snack is always interesting in Korea; there are some standard American brands, but they’re usually more expensive and generally boring. Korean snacks cater to a different palate, so every random pick yields something new and different. I read Korean and speak a little, so I can generally glean what the product is, but a lot of the time my decisions are made by “Ooh, interesting package. Sold.”

CheongWoo Bam Chal ddeok Cookie: The Money Shot

This cookie (and yes, it is a cookie) was bought because I couldn’t figure out if the nut on the package was a hazelnut, a chestnut or an acorn. Yes, an acorn. They pop up from time to time in Korean food–usually as acorn jelly, which is far better than it sounds–so it was a definite possibility.

(Junk Food Guy sidenote: ACORN JUNK FOOD??? #mindblown)

CheongWoo Bam Chal ddeok Cookie: NOT acorn filling

A quick translation and the mystery nut was revealed to be a chestnut. But it’s not chestnut filling–the cookie is what’s been flavored with the chestnuts, while the inside is ddeok, or rice that’s been pounded to the point of being glutinous. There are a ton of different ways in which ddeok is used, both in the sweet and savory spectrum in Korean food.

(Junk Food Guy note: Korean ddeok is apparently (at least according to Wiki and Google Translate) in the same realm as Japanese mochi. Mochi inside of a chestnut cookie?  Hmmm.)

CheongWoo Bam Chal ddeok Cookie: Sponsored by the CW

Each cookie is 75 calories and they aren’t that big. The exterior is very soft and tastes just like the ‘graham cracker’ part of a smores poptart but better because it isn’t dry as chalk. Believe me, though–I’m not hating on Pop Tarts. I’ve willingly taken a 45 minute bus to Itaewon, a very foreigner-friendly district of Seoul to go to the foreign foods market that stocks them, though only lately in blueberry. Bastards.

CheongWoo Bam Chal ddeok Cookie: Small circular shell

Anyway, the cookie shell–cookie skin? Ew. No.–kind of flakes as soon as it hits your mouth and you bite down. The ddeok is chewy and kind of sweetly bland. I think it’s mostly there for the mouthfeel, which actually works well because of the two contrasting textures. I didn’t taste any distinct chestnuttiness, or any nuttines at all, but it was a good cookie in that it wasn’t tooth-achingly sweet.

CheongWoo Bam Chal ddeok Cookie: so THAT’S what ddeok looks like. Neat.

There isn’t much ddeok inside, as you can see, but a little goes a long way because, again, it is really chewy. If they put a gigantic glob inside (sounds appetizing, no?), you’d be chewing for hours while probably trying to pry some of it out of your back molars. Not so sexy. On the whole, the cookie is good. The flavoring is mild and not too sweet, and the texture, while a bit bizarre to ddeok virgins, is subtly interesting.

If I was coming home to visit my parents or friends, I’d give this cookie because it’s a good halfway meeting point between Korean and American-style desserts. It’s the kiddie pool of Korean snacks.

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And there you have it – the kiddie pool of Korean junk food.  Thanks so much Ashley – hopefully you’ll do another review for me sometime in the future!  And I thought the glittery nail polish was a nice touch 🙂

PURCHASED AT: ACTUAL KOREA

COST: no clue

Thoughts? Please comment below (I always reply) or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. Also, you can always email me at junkfoodguy@junkfoodguy.com. Let’s hang out. Sincerely, Junk Food Guy