The Korean Products You Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy at Costco, According to Korean Parents

The average size of a Costco store in the United States is 146,000 square feet. There’s a reason the superstore calls itself a “membership warehouse club,” and it’s not just because it offers bulk amounts of each product — it also sells a wide variety of items.

From clothing to home decor, luggage to giant jugs of olive oil, beauty products, eggs, and everything in between, you name it and Costco probably has it. One of the joys of this endless array is that there are likely quite a few food products you haven’t tried yet. While it can be easy to stick to the usual staples you always buy in bulk, exploring the realm of yet-undiscovered Costco items can unlock an even more delicious world.

And you know what you should be buying from this warehouse club? More Korean ingredients and prepared products that are packed full of flavor, making it incredibly easy to enjoy Korean cuisine at home. To find out which Korean items are worth your time at Costco and which ones you can skip, we consulted the content creators of @crazykoreancooking. 

In their videos, daughter Grace Lewis showcases her Korean parents trying every food you can imagine, ranging from American classics like Chicago deep dish pizza to Korean meals they enjoy together. The trio even sells their own gochugaru — Korean red chili powder — on their website.

When seeking out Korean products to buy in the United States, the family tends to look for items that are made in Korea. That said, Lewis mentions that while major brands in Korea like O’Food, Bibigo, and Jongga are generally good, she says not everything they make is great, so you may want to look for product reviews before making a purchase. As regular Costco shoppers who have recently sampled a wide variety of Korean products from the superstore, here’s everything they do and don’t recommend.

The Korean items you should buy from Costco

Kirkland Signature Organic Roasted Seaweed Snack

Lewis and her parents say they love these crisp, salty sheets of seaweed — which come with 10 sheets in each individually wrapped packet — because the “quality is better than a lot of seaweed you see in the Korean markets in America. It’s actually made in Korea.”

These seaweed snacks are also organic, and have a very short ingredient list, only including organic seaweed, organic sunflower oil, organic sesame oil, and sea salt.

Bibigo Steamed Dumplings

These round dumplings in wheat wrappers don’t clarify whether they’re meant to be Chinese soup dumplings or Korean jjinmandu, but the family says they’re “pretty good for store-bought, mass-produced dumplings.”

In a recent video reviewing their Costco haul, Lewis’ mom notes that while the dumplings are good, she doesn’t love the sauce they come with. Instead, she makes her own sauce with vinegar, soy sauce, and gochugaru. If you want to recreate this at home, Lewis explains that they use Korean brown rice vinegar, but standard white rice vinegar would work too.

Although she opts for Kikkoman gluten-free soy sauce due to dietary restrictions, she says any soy sauce is fine, and they would recommend Sempio Organic Soy Sauce if you can consume gluten. Finally, make sure you use a coarsely ground gochugaru.

The final tip? After tearing a small hole in the top of each dumpling, Lewis’ mom spoons the sauce inside for maximum flavor.

Korean ramen

The family observes that Costco is a great place to snag “Korean Ramen such as Shin ramen, Buldak, etc” for a good price. Shin Ramyun happens to be the most popular ramen brand in South Korea, while Buldak has become known on social media for its ability to really turn up the heat with its spicy noodles. Buying a bulk amount of quality ramen is also an easy way to ensure you always have a filling snack or meal on hand.

Bibigo Cooked Sticky White Rice

It’s time to meet your new pantry staple. This pre-cooked rice comes in microwavable bowls, allowing it to be ready in under two minutes. Lewis and her parents recommend the product “for those looking for a convenient option for Korean rice. It’s also good for fried rice. For fried rice, you can directly start cooking in the pan without microwaving and it will result in fried rice that’s not soggy.”

Melona Bars

These frozen fruit bars are the perfect sweet treat to enjoy during warmer months. They’re creamy, with a texture often likened to gelato, and come in a variety of flavors such as honeydew melon, mango, and coconut.

The Melona brand was started in Korea in 1992 — the honeydew ice cream bar was its original product — and Lewis and her parents describe the bars as a “nostalgic Korean frozen treat.”

Jongga Kimchi

This item comes with a caveat: Lewis and her parents probably wouldn’t choose this kimchi for themselves. As @crazykoreancooking explains in a comment responding to one of its followers, their family prefers a spicier kimchi that isn’t pre-cut, as it alters the texture.

That being said, the trio also tells Food & Wine, “We wouldn’t buy it for ourselves, but it could be a good option for those who don’t live close to Korean markets and for those who can’t do spicy kimchi or a strong fermented fish sauce flavor.”

CheongKwangJang Hong Sam Won Red Ginseng Drink

With ginseng — a root that’s been used in many herbal medicine traditions — jujube fruit, ginger, cinnamon, and goji berry, this beverage is rich in antioxidants. Although the drink is often marketed as an energy drink, it does not contain any caffeine, making it an excellent choice for those with caffeine sensitivity.

The beverage specifically features Korean red ginseng, with Lewis and her parents noting that “this is a legit Korean brand well known in Korea for ginseng.”

The Korean products you should skip at Costco

Bibigo Kimchi and Cheese Rice Ball

Although the packaging for these frozen rice balls depicts reddish-brown rice that appears to be thoroughly seasoned with kimchi, Lewis and her parents note that they are unfortunately “not great,” with “not enough kimchi.”

However, they offer an alternate suggestion, recommending that you “just buy kimchi and instant rice and quickly stir-fry [them] and add cheese,” which sounds exactly like what I’ll be doing tonight.

Gimbap

On @crazykoreancooking Lewis’ parents have previously reviewed the frozen gimbap from Costco, where they note that of course they recognize that it can’t be held to the same standard as a freshly prepared, homemade version of the rice roll with savory fillings. 

While they don’t have negative reviews for the gimbap from Costco, the family explains that “it’s ok but trader joe’s gimbap is better if you must go for frozen gimbap.”

Kevin’s Korean BBQ-Style Beef

The reason they don’t recommend this beef in a bulgogi-style sauce is right in the name. Lewis and her parents point out that the product is “not Korean. It’s Korean-style made by a non-Korean company.” The ingredient list for the product also includes monk fruit sweetener, which can leave an unpleasant aftertaste.

Yukgaejang (Spicy Beef and Vegetable Soup)

As they review this rendition of yukgaejang from Costco — labeled simply as “Spicy Beef & Vegetable Soup” on its packaging — on YouTube, Lewis’ parents seem to enjoy it. However, while heating the spicy, vibrant red stew, their daughter observes that it doesn’t appear to have a lot of shredded meat, the typical star of the dish.

Ultimately, the content creator and her parents conclude that “It’s ok, but not sure if it’s worth the price.” Although you might want to skip this item the next time you’re at Costco, don’t worry, you can grab some Korean ramen if you’re looking for something spicy to slurp down.