How to read this guide: ✅ means a member said or showed it herself on a show, video or social post, with the source linked. 💬 means a fan favorite story we could not confirm from her own words. For aespa, almost everything below is ✅.
aespa talk about food more than you might expect, and the foods they pick are very 2020s Seoul: puffed rice crackers, mozzarella corn dogs, mala stir-fry and Jjapaguetti. Here is what each member has said, what those foods actually are, and where to eat them in Seoul at 2026 prices.
Karina: ppeongtwigi, and Jjapaguetti on tour ✅
In a 2024 behind-the-scenes video on aespa’s official channel during the “Whiplash” promotions, Karina called ppeongtwigi her favorite snack of the moment. (Source: Daum News) In October 2026, while on aespa’s North American tour, she posted on Instagram that she wanted to eat Jjapaguetti. (Source: Tenasia)
What a Korean hears: ppeongtwigi (뻥튀기) are big, flat puffed rice crackers. The name comes from “ppeong” (bang!) because they are made by popping grain under pressure, and old-school street vendors still make them with a loud boom. Bags cost about ₩2,000–4,000 at any supermarket. And craving Jjapaguetti abroad is the most Korean homesickness there is: it is the instant black bean noodle every Korean grew up on, about ₩1,500 a pack.
On Na Yeong-seok’s YouTube talk show Wagle Wagle (June 2026), Karina also brought a fruit cream cake and yangzhi ganlu, the mango, pomelo and sago dessert that became a café trend in Seoul. (Source: My Daily)
Winter: mala xiangguo ✅
On the same Wagle Wagle episode, Winter brought pretzels as her TV snack and named mala xiangguo as the food she is hooked on lately. (Source: My Daily)
What a Korean hears: she is not alone. Mala (마라, mara), the numbing Sichuan spice, has been one of the biggest food trends among Koreans in their 20s for years. Mala xiangguo (마라샹궈) is the dry stir-fry version; malatang (마라탕) is the soup. You pick ingredients from a fridge bar and pay by weight, often around ₩3,000–4,000 per 100g, so a shared plate for two usually lands around ₩25,000–35,000. Choose your spice level: 1 is already spicy for most visitors.
Giselle: a rice-cake set and mala jjondeugi ✅
Giselle brought an assorted tteok (rice cake) set and mala-flavored jjondeugi to Wagle Wagle. (Source: My Daily)
What a Korean hears: jjondeugi (쫀드기) is a chewy, flat starch snack from 1980s school-gate candy shops, usually grilled until it puffs. A mala version is exactly the kind of retro-meets-trend snack Korean convenience stores love. A mixed tteok box from a rice-cake shop (떡집, tteokjip) costs about ₩10,000–20,000.
Ningning: mozzarella corn dogs ✅
In the same 2024 aespa video, Ningning said she has loved mozzarella hot dogs since her trainee days and planned to grab another on the way home. (Source: Daum News) On Wagle Wagle she brought a mentaiko (pollock roe) and avocado rice bowl, which Karina said is one of her own favorite menus. (Source: My Daily)
What a Korean hears: what the world calls a “Korean corn dog,” Koreans just call a hot dog (핫도그, hatdogeu). The mozzarella version stretches when you bite it. The local move is to roll it in sugar before the ketchup and mustard. Expect about ₩2,500–4,500 each at chains near any subway station. Myeongnan (명란, pollock roe) is a Busan specialty and a very popular rice-bowl topping in Seoul cafés.
The whole group: Pepero ✅
When aespa broke down their favorite snacks on the YouTube series Snacked, the picks included Choco Boy and Pepero. (Source: Snacked, Aug 2022) Pepero has its own day in Korea every November 11; see our Pepero Day guide.
An aespa food day in Seoul
- Snack run: a bag of ppeongtwigi and Pepero from any supermarket (Karina, the group).
- Lunch: a mentaiko rice bowl at a café (Ningning).
- Street snack: a mozzarella hot dog rolled in sugar (Ningning).
- Dinner: mala xiangguo, spice level 1 if you are new to mala (Winter).
- Late night: Jjapaguetti from a convenience store, cooked at home (Karina).
Order like a local
설탕 묻혀 주세요.
Seoltang mutyeo juseyo.
“Please roll it in sugar.” Say it when you order a hot dog. Staff will roll it before adding sauces.
FAQ
What is Karina’s favorite food?
She has called ppeongtwigi (puffed rice crackers) her favorite snack, and in October 2026 she posted that she was craving Jjapaguetti while on tour.
What does Winter like to eat?
Mala xiangguo, the spicy Sichuan stir-fry that is hugely popular in Korea, plus pretzels as a TV snack.
Is this information official?
Items marked ✅ come from aespa’s own videos, shows and posts, linked above. Tastes change, so treat them as fun, not facts set in stone. More K-pop food: LE SSERAFIM, SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids.
