Gangneung souvenir café: corn sand & breakwater bread—Gangneung Sand
In short
Gangneung Sand Main Branch is a souvenir dessert café on Seonggokgoyang-gil in Gangneung, Gangwon, and is said to be the original shop of Gangneung Sand, the sandwich cookie that won gold at the 2022 Gangneung City Tourist Souvenir Contest. On a takeaway visit, the writer bought a 10-piece box of Chodang corn sand for 17,000 won and a 7-piece box of coffee-flavored breakwater bread for 10,000 won, and enjoyed the gourmet butter cookie flavor and rich coffee aroma. Pick two different flavors at Gangneung Sand Main Branch and you get a Gangneung travel gift with two tastes.
Good to know
- Address
- 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5 Beonan-gil, Gangneung, Gangwon (floors 1–3)
- Hours
- Daily 9:30 am–7:00 pm (last order 6:30 pm)
- Chodang corn sand
- Box of 10, 17,000 won
- Breakwater bread (coffee)
- Box of 7, 10,000 won
- Gangneung Sand flavors
- 6: coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, strawberry and purple sweet potato (new)
- Other branches
- Jungang Market (Wolhwa Street), Chodang branch, Cookie Lab (Ponam-dong)
- Packaging
- Changes by season (cherry blossom at the time of the visit)
- Price reference
- ₩17,000 ≈ $12.5 · ₩10,000 ≈ $7.5 (2026-10-17)
as written by the visitor on Apr 14, 2026
These days you run into regional sand-cookie souvenirs everywhere you travel, don't you? On this Gangneung trip I wondered what gift to buy, and ended up at the most famous one, Gangneung Sand Main Branch.
What is Gangneung Sand Main Branch like?
Gangneung Sand Main Branch is said to be the original main shop of Gangneung Sand, which won gold at the 2022 Gangneung tourist souvenir contest. Several shops in Gangneung carry the name "Gangneung Sand," so it's easy to get confused, but the one I visited is this original main branch.
Several shops in Gangneung carry the name "Gangneung Sand," so it's easy to get confused.
The main branch building runs from the first basement floor up to the fifth floor,
and the building is really lovely. I came just for takeout, but it felt like a waste to leave right away.
If you come with a child, there's also a different kind of space where they can try activities.
Gangneung Sand Main Branch location and hours
- Address: 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beonan-gil, Gangneung, Gangwon (floors 1–3)
- Hours: daily 09:30–19:00 (last order 18:30)
Besides the main branch, Gangneung Sand has three more locations: Jungang Market (Wolhwa Street), the Chodang branch, and Cookie Lab (Ponam-dong), so you can pick whichever fits your route. But the main branch has its own signature atmosphere, so if you have time, I recommend stopping by.
What awards has Gangneung Sand won?
Gangneung Sand Main Branch has reportedly won prizes at the Gangneung tourist souvenir contest steadily since 2020. It isn't just following a trend; it has kept developing products that carry Gangneung's character.
Starting with the Gangneung Coffee Tart (bronze) in 2020,
then dried persimmon (bronze) in 2021 and Gangneung Sand (gold) in 2022,
and most recently in 2025, it even won silver for the breakwater bread.
How to spot the original Gangneung Sand: check the logo stamp
When you choose Gangneung Sand as a Gangneung gift, check that the "Gangneung Sand" logo is stamped exactly on the cookie surface. There are lots of imitations, so please do check the original's details.
How many Gangneung Sand flavors are there?
Gangneung Sand comes in 6 flavors made with ingredients Gangneung is known for: coffee, dried persimmon, Chodang corn, black sesame, strawberry, and the new purple sweet potato.
They're sold by the box, which makes them perfect as Gangneung souvenir snacks.
Chodang corn sand, 10 pieces for ₩17,000: how does it taste?
The sand I chose at Gangneung Sand Main Branch was the Chodang corn sand, a box of 10 (₩17,000). You can't talk about Gangneung without Chodang corn, so I picked it after agonizing between it and coffee.
The cookie is made with gourmet butter, so the flavor is deep, and the sweet, nutty corn filling inside makes it really appealing.
The sweetness is refined, so it's a perfectly good Gangneung dessert snack.
Gangneung breakwater bread, 7 pieces for ₩10,000: how is the coffee flavor?
Breakwater bread (bangpajae-ppang) is a coffee-flavored bread shaped like a breakwater block, sold at Gangneung Sand Main Branch for ₩10,000 for 7 pieces. It caught my eye when I went to buy sand, and the shape was so cute that I bought it too.
The texture falls somewhere between a soft madeleine and a dense pound cake.
The reason I picked corn for the sand was exactly that this breakwater bread is coffee-flavored.
The coffee aroma was stronger and tastier than I expected, so I was satisfied. The shape is unusual, so it's a unique item to bring along with Gangneung Sand as a Gangneung gift for people around you.
Is Gangneung Sand Main Branch worth recommending as a Gangneung gift?
If you're looking for a Gangneung dessert snack that captures the region's character, visit the original Gangneung Sand Main Branch.
Each product reflects something of Gangneung, so it makes a gift that's fun for both the giver and the receiver.
The packaging is neat too (it changes by season! Right now it's cherry blossoms), and the balance between the butter cookie and the filling is excellent, so I was happy with this Gangneung souvenir snack shopping.
If you're planning a Gangneung trip, try the original flavor at Gangneung Sand Main Branch, which nails both taste and looks. I recommend it as a high-quality Gangneung dessert snack.
While eating, I started regretting that I only brought home the corn flavor... I think I might order the coffee one online too... haha
Where it is
31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beonan-gil, Gangneung, Gangwon, South Korea강원특별자치도 강릉시 성곡고양길5번안길 31 1층~3층
Gangneung Sand Main: hours, menu and prices →
