Gyeongju dessert shop with three individually wrapped mochi: Tareudang

Fruit mochi at Tareudang: a dessert to take away on Hwangnidang-gil in Gyeongju

Tareudang, near Hwangnidang-gil in Gyeongju's Sajeong-ro, is a takeout-only dessert shop selling fruit mochi and tarts. You've got to go to Hwangnidang-gil when you're in Gyeongju, right? A Gyeongju trip basically means walking nonstop, and after enough walking, you start craving something sweet!

Right when that sweet-tooth craving hit on Hwangnidang-gil, I stopped by Tareudang and picked up some fruit mochi — and I ended up eating a whole one while walking, is that even real?? It was so good! Tareudang is great for takeout, and picking a few different flavors to try one by one made it even more fun. Honestly the most satisfying food I had on Hwangnidang-gil in Gyeongju!

What 1pm on a Friday looks like at Tareudang: a line and sold-out flavors

I visited Tareudang around 1pm on a Friday, and people kept lining up while several fruit mochi flavors were already sold out. If you want to try all the flavors, I'd recommend going a bit earlier!

Gyeongju has so many pretty cafés and dessert shops, but Tareudang is the one you can enjoy on the go as takeout! Tareudang is a takeout-only shop on Sajeong-ro in Gyeongju selling fruit mochi and tarts, among other things.

Strawberry mochi sold out, so mango, kiwi and pineapple instead

Every fruit mochi in Tareudang's display case had already been sold, and they were making them fresh, one after another, as orders came in. I really wanted to try the strawberry mochi and was so disappointed I couldn't — and the owner seemed just as disappointed for me, haha, so kind!

Just the photos of the fruit-filled mochi looked so pretty, and I could already imagine the taste! Chewy mochi with cool cream and fruit tucked inside. Apparently the fruit varieties at Tareudang, the Hwangnidang-gil dessert shop in Gyeongju, change a bit depending on the season!

Among the fresh fruit mochi, I ordered three: mango mochi, kiwi mochi, and pineapple mochi, and each one was wrapped round like a little bojagi (wrapping cloth) bundle — so cute!

How to get Tareudang's free cooler bag with a Naver review

Tareudang offers a free cooler bag if you write a Naver review. I was so worn out by the blazing sun and just wanted to eat something sweet right away, so I skipped the cooler bag and headed straight to my guesthouse — but the colder it is, the tastier it gets!!!

If you're not eating it right away, I really recommend the cooler bag packaging. It's free if you write a Naver review, so go for that Naver receipt review challenge. If you're like me and plan to enjoy it at your guesthouse or with family at home, pop it in the freezer or fridge and eat it cold — it's even better that way!

Why fruit mochi beat Gyeongju's famous fruit sando

While searching for what to eat in Gyeongju, I kept seeing a restaurant called fruit sando (fruit sandwich) come up, and now I know why. The moment I got to Hwangnidang-gil I spotted an insanely long line — that was the fruit sando line. I just couldn't bring myself to wait, even though bread stuffed with fruit and cream sounded amazing, ugh.

I went with Hwangnidang-gil's fruit mochi instead — chewy texture, non-greasy cream or yogurt, and big chunks of fresh fruit, haha. Tareudang is actually known as a fruit mochi specialty dessert shop, with a range of fresh fruit mochi flavors like mango, pineapple, and kiwi, plus egg tarts and drinks.

As you keep walking Hwangnidang-gil after a meal, a heavy dessert doesn't sound as appealing as something light and fruity — and this was exactly that!

Fist-sized mochi: how did the three flavors taste?

Once you unwrap Tareudang's fruit mochi, you'll see they're way bigger than you'd expect, so cutting them with a knife or scissors to share seems like a good idea. Honestly, the only cross-section photo I have is of the kiwi one — I really couldn't wait until the guesthouse and ended up scarfing one down on the walk to the parking lot...

• Kiwi mochi — refreshingly tart, went really, really well with the cream
• Mango mochi — mango's sweetness came through in an elegant, rich way
• Pineapple mochi — the fruit's own tang plus chewy mochi was just so good

Since these are made with fresh fruit, the menu can change as ingredients run out, and some flavors may be sold out if you visit later in the day, so if you have a fruit you really want, I'd recommend going a bit earlier! If you're looking for a special snack on Hwangnidang-gil during your Gyeongju trip, I recommend Gyeongju's fruit mochi shop Tareudang — a Gyeongju dessert spot I'd definitely revisit if I come back!