What to Buy in Korea: 10 Souvenirs to Take Home with You and How Hunting Them Down Can Give You the Quintessential Korean Experience (2019)

Koreans are unique, sophisticated and conservative. They have a knack for doing their best and being at the best. The people of Korea are known to be fitness crazy and health conscious, and you will hardly find an obese person in Korea. Three major things that stand Koreans out are their amazing street foods, awesome cosmetics, and great products. When you visit, watch out for mouth-watering street food items/snacks, wonderful beauty products and a stream of never-ending beautiful items produced by Koreans; from electronics, stationeries, phone cases, ceramics to tumblers and so much more; the list is endless. The souvenirs you will find in Korea will exceed your imagination but the great thing is that they are affordable.

Watch out for both the traditional and modern tea cafes found in almost every corner of Korea. This is to show you how much Korean people love to drink tea; in fact, there is a special tea festival held every year in Boseong, Korea.

The Koreans have a unique way of drinking tea; they take the bowl and hold it at the base with their left hands, then turn it a bit with the right hand on the side of the bowl, and they don't put the bowl down until they have finished the tea. Korean teas have been known to help prevent a lot of diseases and ailments especially the Yuja-cha tea, which is a perfect remedy for cold.

Seaweed products can be found at most grocery stores and supermarkets in the country, and they are very affordable. They are usually flavored with salt and sesame oil making it delicious and tasty. This dried seaweed can be eaten straight from the pack or wrapped around rice to give you an amazing blend. Not only are they tasty but they have numerous health benefits. They are a major souvenir for foreigners because of their light weight and the fact that can be easily accessed.

Koreans have an outstanding craft culture and two things that stand it out is the fact that it is of high quality and is durable. These handicrafts make an excellent souvenir. These simple but sophisticated Korean crafts can are classified into different categories, ranging from metal crafts, wood crafts, ceramics, glass, dyed and woven goods and other miscellaneous craftwork. Korean handicrafts accurately capture and reflects Korea's exceptional culture, the character of the people and their way of doing things. You can get a great picture of what has happened in the country over the past years. Three major handicrafts to watch out for are the humorous facial masks, the traditional hand fan, the mother of pearl key chains.

The Korean Cuckoo Pot is as unique as its name sounds. It is a high-tech rice cooker that does more than the usual rice cookers. This Cuckoo pot has become a household name in Korea and is loved by Korean housewives, most of whom love to have it as a major item in their Kitchens. If you are wondering why, that is because the electric thermal rice cooker from “Cuckoo” has a voice function, giving you the option of saying what you want it to do, while you attend to other house chores.

One other thing that stands it out is the fact that it can make stew also. With this cooker, you are offered the opportunity of cooking two of the most treasured meals in many homes. Although, it is on the high side, who wouldn’t love to have this high-tech rice cooker which makes cooking faster and life easier? To add this to your collection, visit www.amazon.com and place an order for a price of Rs. 30,045. You can also drop by the Lotte Mart directly connected to Seoul Station to get the Korean Cuckoo Pot.

Ramyeon Noodles is an instant noodle that comes in various varieties, a different taste, spice, and flavour. The Ramyeon Noodles comes next after rice in the ranking of what the Koreans love the most. The fact that it takes less than 5 minutes to prepare appeals to the senses; everyone loves ease and convenience and these two things are what the Ramyeon Noodles offer.

It is hot, spicy and gives you the sweetness of a savoury beef broth once you are done making it. Two things you get from eating the Ramyeon Noodles is satisfaction and fulfillment. A trial will convince you. The Ramyeon Noodles are a must take home to your kids as a souvenir when leaving Korea. Your kids won’t stop talking about its fantastic taste of spicy red pepper and clear beef broth. The Ramyeon Noodles is of two types, the cup-type and the 5-in-1 pack. For ease and convenience, you can order for the 5-in-1 pack at www.amazon.com for a price of Rs. 693.

The Korean Ginseng is a wonder herb that has so many medicinal values and remarkable health benefits; in fact, it is listed among the first ten food items that enhance the immune system. It has been used in Asia for years and has become very popular with the natives and even among foreign visitors, and that is because, it is used to improve thinking and concentration, it helps with depression and fatigue, and fights infections. The benefits and importance of the Ginseng go beyond the country of Korea, many across the world have been enjoying the proven benefits of this wonder plant.

This is one thing to look out for when you get to Korea. It is good for both the young and old. Give your health or the health of your loved ones a boost by taking the Red Korean Ginseng along with you when you are heading back to your country. At www.draxe.com, you can get the Korean Ginseng at a price of Rs.1,388.They are expensive but worth buying as a gift your loved ones as you travel back home.

777 Nail Clipper Set is an all-around package that makes pedicure and manicure fast and easy. It contains the major items you need to keep your finger and toenails in good shape. In this you have Beauty Scissors, Tweezers, File, Safety Scissors, Double-sided Push Stick, V-Shaped Push Stick, 11 pieces of Nail Clippers, Toe Nail Clipper, Cuticle Trimmer, Small Nail Clipper and something for the ears too; an Ear Pick. The Korean brand produces the best nail clipper globally.

You should not leave Korea without buying the Korean 777 Nail Clipper set as a gift for your wife, girlfriend and colleague. This is a gift that will be truly appreciated by someone who loves to have fancy grooming products. For a price of Rs. 2,430, you can get the Three Seven 777 clipper set at www.amazon.com, where it is rated 4.5 out of 5 stars. For offline purchase, visit the fifth floor of Dusan Tower (Doota) in Dongdaemun district.

Koreans approach skincare differently, they work at maintaining their skin’s health and appearance rather than trying to fix skin problems as they arise. These characteristics stand Korea brands out. One such brand is Mamonde, a unique and creative brand that harnesses the skin-benefitting powers and benefits of flowers. The brand has an exclusive set which includes: Mamonde Hydrating Beauty Water, Mamonde Petal Spa Oil to Foam Cleanser and Mamonde Lip Sleeping Mask.

This set sufficiently sweeps away foundation, acts as a sunscreen, tones your skin and removes impurities without drying out the skin. Over all, they give your skin, a calming and nourishing effect. Online, you can place an order at www.sokoglam.com where it has a price tag of Rs. 1,527 and to get the Mamonde set offline, you can find them at beauty brand stores such as Innisfree, Etude House and Skin Food, in the Myeongdong district. Gift these set to the amazing female friends you have in your life and you will be cherished for a very long time.

There has been a sudden love for Phone covers and one of the reasons for this drive is the level at which beautiful, stylish and appealing phone covers are being produced. Koreans phone covers are simply irresistible; they come in all sizes, colours, shapes and the Phone cases made in Korea are unique, hard to come by and are durable. A phone cover is a perfect souvenir for friends because it is something they will truly appreciate and a gift you are sure they will use. Choose a design that would make them go screaming with gratitude. These phone cases come in pairs too, you can get a pair for your twins, your mum and dad or your partner. Place an order on www.dhgate.com for a price of Rs. 83 only. When in Seoul, you can get the Korean stylish phone covers at Myeongdong, Hongdae and Gangnam districts.

Korea remains one of the best places to get unique and simple Stationeries, from dairies, planners, stickers, washi tapes, pens, notebooks to colouring books and more and the good news is that they are all affordable. You will find brands like Midori, Pentel amongst others. You will find many big and famous stores in Korea where you will get whatever it is you need. Once you step in, the beauty and colours that greet you will make you stay longer than you plan. You can’t leave Korea without getting some of their lovely stationeries. The best place to get colourful and unique gifts for your kids, siblings and grandchildren are the Korean bookstores such as Daiso, Noldagage Stationery, Hot Tracks, Kosney, Youngpoong Bookstore and Art Box. To get them online, visit www.amazon.com and get these stationeries for a price tag of Rs. 694.

In Korea, you find breathtaking tumblers; in fact, they come in different sizes, colour and pretty designs. The cups are designed to suit the seasons and holidays. Koreans love to take coffee and tea, so finding the tumblers won’t be a hard task. You begin to see special tumbler brands like Stanley and Starbucks at coffee shops and the specially designed tumblers can be found at Diaso, Costco and also at the gifts shops in most Museums like the National Museum of Korea. Gift this pretty Korean Tumbler to your colleagues, loved ones and bosses who love taking coffee. It is a tumbler that has been stylishly designed to suit both the young and old, average and rich. You can easily find these Korean-style tumblers at www.amazon.com where it is sold for Rs. 3,680.

The traditional dress worn by the women in Korea is unique and comes in a 2 piece suit; a jacket and dress. It comes in many sizes and colours, and can be worn for cultural events, costume parties or to celebrate special days. Though on the high side, Korean traditional dress will suffice as a perfect souvenir for your young beautiful charming friends. For a price of Rs. 347, you can get this beautiful Korean costume on www.amazon.com. You can also visit the Jongno Shopping Center where you will have the opportunity of choosing from the colourful Hanboks sold there.

These pair of female’s socks are cute, comfortable and unique. It comes in a pair of 5 fun socks and has cute animal pattern designs on them. It is gentle on your skin, light weight, not too thick or too thin and is suitable for all seasons, and everyday use. The cartoon socks are elastic and perfectly made which makes it suitable for your feet, giving you the double effect of fashion ad comfort. The cotton effect gives you a soothing feel. The socks are a perfect souvenir for the ladies in your life. The best places to get these pair of socks are at the Myeongdong and Dongdaenum shopping district. At www.amazon.com you will get the 5 pairs women’s animal socks for a simple price of Rs. 555.

Tteokbokki is a popular rice cakes with sweet spicy sauce. The tube-shaped chips can be bought as a souvenir when leaving Korea for your home country. They are easy to find as they are sold along the streets in the cities found in Korea or you can step into any grocery store to get these sweet spicy snacks. They are well packaged and can be conveniently carried across borders.

These are fish cakes enclosed in bright wrappers. They are soft, moist and the cute fish shape is a major attraction for young ones. Make your kids delighted by getting the Orion Moist and Chewy Cake as a souvenir.

The Lotte Anytime Candies are delicious and mouth watering snacks that are produced in Korea. It is soft and chewy, and has a middle layer that gives you a sweet cooling effect when you chew it. Lotte Anytime Candy has three flavours: Milkmint, Lemon Mint and Bluemarine. Until you’ve bought some of the Lotte Anytime Candies from the Lotte Mart, don’t book your ticket out of Korea yet.