Traveling Applejax

When we left Phoenix on May 12, we brought a few snacks that Mike dumpster dove so that we’d have food for the planes and our first few days of travel. The freeze dried peaches were good, but the honey roasted pistachios were especially tasty. When we ran out of nuts after a day or two of biking, I decided we needed replacements, so we looked for some in the CU (our favorite Korean convenience store chain). We found a pack of HBAF honey butter almonds, and an obsession was born.

For the rest of our time biking in Korea, we purchased these nuts every couple of days. They’re a great protein-rich snack, and they are sooo delicious.

Cut to our last stop in Korea: Busan. As we walked down the shopping street near our hotel, I spotted a giant HBAF store. If you’ve been to the M&M store in Vegas, then you have some idea of the magic of this flagship location.

When we went inside, we learned that HBAF stands for “Healthy but awesome flavors.” We also found 22 (!) flavors of HBAF almonds. There was even a sampler pack with every flavor. We had seen one other flavor on the road (roasted onion), but we had only tried the honey butter. I knew we had to get the sampler pack.

Thus, our almond tour was born. As we wrapped up our time in Korea, hopped on a ferry, and started biking Japan, we sampled a flavor or two a day.

Below are the HBAF rankings from least favorite to bestest, based on the scores Mike & I gave each flavor:

19th Place (4-Way Tie)

Look, these were not very good, and we wouldn’t buy them individually, but there were some interesting aspects to them. The Baked Corn Almonds included crispy, dried corn kernels, which I kind of liked but Mike found too hard. I thought the Cheddar Cheese Almonds tasted like cheddar popcorn topping, but Mike likened them to Kraft Mac & Cheese powder. The Garlic Bread Almonds included croutons and were a bit sweet, which was weird, but Mike thought they’d be good on a salad. The Laver (seaweed) Almonds were better than I expected, and we both rated them higher than we thought we would in part because of their uniqueness and their cute packaging that features the Jeju haenyeo divers.

17th Place (2-Way Tie)

In 17th place we have two more savory flavors. Unsurprisingly, the Wasabi Almonds were spicy. Though they were good, we couldn’t imagine eating more than a couple at once, and Mike said he wanted them to punch him in the face even harder. Cheongyang Mayo Almonds didn’t taste much like mayo to me, but apparently this is a region that grows spicy peppers used in mayo and other regional recipes.

16th Place

The Hot & Spicy Chicken Almond was actually quite spicy. Since I tend to prefer the sweet almonds, I rated it low, but Mike thought it deserved extra points for being original.

15th Place

Tteokbokki is a popular street food consisting of a thick rice cake smothered in sauce that can be neutral or very spicy. We had some of the spicy variety in Busan and struggled considerably despite both having a pretty high spice tolerance. Between the spice and the odd texture, Mike went from liking the food to developing a strong aversion in just a few minutes. Personally, I think this almond got an unfair rating from Mike because of negative associations. The HBAF version is not spicy and actually has a uniquely Korean flavor that I appreciate. It would be really good as a chip, too.

13th Place (2-Way Tie)

The two almonds in this tie couldn’t be more different. The Roasted Onion Almond tastes like most sour cream & onion chips and is a nice savory option. In fact, it was our highest rated savory nut. The Starlight Pangpang, on the other hand, is our lowest rated sweet nut. It’s good, but it’s trying to do too much. You see, the candy-coated almond (sort of a birthday cake flavor) has what basically amount to Pop Rocks embedded in it. It’s fun but not especially satisfying.

12th Place

If I liked tiramisu/coffee more, the Tiramisu Almond would have rated higher. It is true to the dessert and has a nice dusting of cocoa.

10th Place (2-Way Tie)

The Cherries Jubilee Almond and Black Sesame Almond are two solid contenders for delicious sweet almond flavors. They are creative flavors featuring candy coatings. The Black Sesame Almond smelled savory but tasted sweet. Of course, this is a common flavor for desserts such as ice cream in east Asia. Its biggest drawback was the sesame seeds getting stuck in our teeth.

9th Place

The Cookie & Cream Almond is more cookie than cream in my opinion, so that kept it from vaulting to the top of the list. Mike thinks it would be better served cold in ice cream.

7th Place (2-Way Tie)

Injeolmi is another distinctly Asian flavor—it is frequently used to powder mochi or other desserts and tastes like a mild peanut butter. The Injeolmi Almond is a solid choice. Similarly, the Caramel Salted Almond offers a classic and welcome flavor profile.

5th Place (2-Way Tie)

I had a few toffeenut lattes from Cafe Bom Bom during our time in Korea, and the Toffeenut Latte Almond is a nice homage. The only disappointment for me was that it didn’t have any of the toffee texture I love. I am currently obsessed with everything matcha, too, so the Jeju Matcha Almond got high marks from me.

4th Place

Both Mike & I are huge fans of carrot cake as a dessert and will often choose it for birthday celebrations and such. The Carrot Cake Almond is a brilliant flavor choice. Although carrot cake usually features walnuts instead of almonds, the nutty base is the perfect vehicle for this classic flavor.

2nd Place (2-Way Tie)

Who’s doesn’t like the flavor combination of mint and chocolate? It turns out that the Mint Choco Almond is just as delicious. Again, Mike thinks the flavor would be great in ice cream. The Black Sugar Milktea Almond was the first one we tried after our trip to the HBAF store, and we loved it. It made us even more excited for our tastebuds’ tour.

1ST PLACE!

We have got to give credit where credit is due. This OG, classic almond flavor is perfect in its simplicity. The Honey Butter Almond gets a 10/10 from both of us. I already miss it terribly now that my supply has dried up in Japan.

Let’s take a final moment to appreciate the cute packaging and artwork as well. Not only is this a fantastic snack, but it has a clear brand identity that celebrates Korean culture in a fun way. If you ever get a chance to try any of these flavors, go for it. There’s not a one I wouldn’t eat again.