“Gluten-Free” Snacks at Convenience Stores in Korea: Part 1

*The following products might not be safe for a person with Celiac disease or someone being highly sensitive to traces or cross-contamination. Many manufacturers state, that they process wheat in their factories as well.

In Korea, gluten-free food is not as common as in Europe or the US. But nevertheless, there is a diverse range of wheat-free/gluten-free snacks, which can be easily found with a bit of practising Hangeul.

The last time I visited a 7Eleven I took some pictures of some gluten-free snacks I found. But there is actually way more of them to discover and a lot of them are also available at different Korean convenience stores or supermarkets like E-mart or Homeplus.

It’s important to note that while some products from specific brands might be gluten-free or wheat-free, others from the same brand may contain gluten (and in some cases, similar-looking products from different brands might also contain gluten).

The original Pokachip (포카칩 오리지널) does not contain wheat. You can verify the allergens by checking the yellow bar on the right side of the picture, which indicates “contains milk, soy, and beef.”
Important: Stay clear of 밀 (wheat). IF you scan the longer text under it with a translation app, you’ll notice though that the same manufacturer also other products containing wheat.

Doritos Nacho Cheese 도리토스 나초 치즈맛 are one of my favourites. Again in the picture on the right side, written on the light pink bar, you can see that they contain 대두, 우유, 토마토 함유 (soy, milk, tomato) but no gluten. As written below the allergen description, they might contain traces though.

The regular Jagabee chips are seasoned with salt and are wheat-free. They only contain 대두 함유 (soy), which you can check in the middle of the product description on the black bar. (They might contain traces, though.)

The Ssallo 쌀로 chips are made entirely of rice, as their name suggests. On the left side of the package, you can see the label NO밀가루 (no wheat flour). This product seems relatively new, as I first noticed it a few months ago in a supermarket, and now it’s available in most convenience stores. The chips have a strong and spicy flavour, which my Korean friend didn’t like, but I personally find them delicious. The black bar on the left of the right picture indicates that the chips contain 토마토, 대두, 닭고기, 소고기, 우유 함유 (tomato, chicken, beef, and milk). This product too might contain traces of gluten though.
**As of winter 2024 sadly I haven’t seen much of this product any more in a while.

Potato Chip Triple Cheese 포테토칩 트리플 치즈 are super delicious! I saw them first in an YouTube advertisement and couldn’t believe they were actually wheat free. They contain 대두, 우유 함유 (soy and milk) and might contain traces as the manufacturer also handles wheat.

I feel like corn chips are a classic in a country where you can even find corn cake, ice cream, and corn latte (and all are delicious!). Corn chips have a simpler taste and are always a safe bet. On the black bar on the right picture, you can see that they contain 우유, 대두, 소고기 함유 (milk, soy, and beef).
(I can’t read the back of the picture well so I have to re-check but this product as well might contain traces.)

And last but not least, Meiji Macadamia chocolate.. Meiji is a Japanese brand you can find in almost every convenience store in Japan, including specialities like macadamia chocolate with matcha or black tea taste. But the ones just with milk chocolate, which are also available in most Korean convenience stores, are just as delicious. (Can contain traces of wheat.)

You can see the allergens on the black bar on the left in Korean, and next to the blue bar on the right, in Japanese.
우유, 대두 함유; 乳成分、大豆 (containing milk and soy.)