Korean ChocoPie
What is Choco Pie?
This is Korea’s version of Moon Pie (1917!). The story goes that Orion’s (at that time called DongYangJegwa) head of research had the idea for this delectable cookie snack after a business trip took him to Georgia, US. While there, he experienced a chocolate covered cookie in a hotel cafe.
What’s Choco Pie in Korean?
초코파이 "Choco-Pie"
What’s in Choco Pie?
A year later in 1974, he formulated the first version of Chocopie, a marshmallow-sandwiched soft biscuit covered in chocolate. This is definitely one of Korea’s favourite and well-known snack food.
Chocolate Pies around the World
You can find similar products elsewhere, Wagonwheels in the UK and other Commonweath countries (Australia, Canada, India etc), Jos Louis (Canada) and Scooter Pie (are they still around? in the US). The biggest difference you’ll notice is the softer, moister “cake” rather than a drier “cookie”.
The closest would be Jos Louis and really, whoopie pies (made with cake) but Chocopie straddles the line between hard cookie and too-soft cake well.
Brands of Choco Pie
After Orion’s (Choco-Pie) explosive success, the other big snack companies in Korea followed suit. Lotte (Choco Pie), Haitai (Oh Yes), Crown (ChocoPie) all have their own flavours and packaging.
I find most products on regular grocery stores in my area are from Orion or Lotte- Lotte especially seems to go all-out in their flavour variations. But Orion is the original, if that matters lol.
How do you eat Choco Pie?
Eat with milk (classic).
Eat with coffee (yesss).
Split in half and make into ice cream sandwich.
Pop in the microwave for 10 seconds and make the marshmallow melty.
Got these ideas from Modern Pepper’s video here although personally, come on, what more do you want from a marshmallow-filled, chocolate-covered cookie?? I just tear open the package and eat it. It’s also an easy snack to pack in the kiddo’s lunch.
Korean Special Days
If you don’t know, there are extra special days in Korea for so. much. stuff.
March 3 (3/3): Samgyupsal Day: Celebrating pork belly by eating pork belly!
White Day (3/14): A month after Valentine's Day, boys give girls sweets (in Korea, girls give boys chocolate on actual Valentine's Day apparently)
April 14 (4/14): Black Day: Celebrate being single by eating Jjajangmyun! Jjajangmyun is a black colour food, the opposite of White Day and also the colour of being lonely and single lol.
Nov 11 (11/11): Give everyone you know Pepero cookies (the chocolate dipped cookie sticks) for fun!
ChocoPie Day
I mention this because another made-up one is on (March 14) which coincides with White Day so is not very popular but because the date is the same as the expression for pi (3.14) it’s a day to eat some ChocoPIE! Get it? Come on, it’s fuuuun!
Where to Buy ChocoPie?
Sure you can scour the Asian supermarkets around your area for all the flavours of ChocoPie you can find. But what’s better than ChocoPie delivered to your door? The answer is nothing, friends, nothing.
Orion Original ChocoPie https://amzn.to/3CBCS2K
Orion Banana ChocoPie https://amzn.to/3KX37Uv
Lotte Banana ChocoPie https://amzn.to/3CCfty4
Lotte Black Sugar Milk ChocoPie https://amzn.to/36hpK6Y
Lotte Green Tea ChocoPie https://amzn.to/3Jg0rAU
Lotte Cacao ChocoPie https://amzn.to/36h89f9
