Gyeongju dessert shop with lip-tint-size walnut pastries: Buja Hodu

I went to hang out on Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju and wandered around checking out snacks along the way. Hwangnidan-gil has so many pretty cafés, gift shops, and dessert places that something catches your eye just by walking through, and this time the place I stopped at was Buja Hodu.

I got curious hearing that Buja Hodu sells walnut pastries made with rice. The owner takes real pride in using rice-based dough plus low-sugar filling, along with fresh walnuts and whole walnuts. Apparently the shop got its name 'Buja Hodu' (meaning 'rich walnut') so that everyone who eats it stays healthy and gets rich too. Hearing all this while my order was being packed made me even more excited to try the rice walnut pastries hahaha. Wrote it all up below, let's go!!

What's on the Buja Hodu menu board?

There's a menu board outside Buja Hodu, so I checked out what they sell before going in. It looks like a great pick for a snack while traveling around Hwangnidan-gil, and also good to package up as a gift.

When I think of walnut pastries I usually only think of red bean filling, but Buja Hodu has several fillings ready so you can pick based on your taste. Low-sugar red bean, pea cream cheese, matcha, almond praline — grabbing a mix of all of them at once seemed like a great way to share with family.

There's also real red ginseng tea, perfect for older folks' taste.

And the walnut ice cream, which they say is the best-tasting item... walnut pastry + ice cream + a shot of espresso can also be enjoyed as an affogato. Sounds like the perfect sugar-charging combo for summer, no wonder it's their best-tasting item..

Walnut pastries made with rice dough?

The walnut pastries at Buja Hodu are made with rice, unlike regular flour-based ones. I figured all walnut pastries were basically the same, but seeing them in person, the size stood out first. They're way bigger and plumper than I expected lol. I went in picturing small, round walnut pastries and was a little surprised to see the chunky size.

How many pieces are in a Gyeongju souvenir gift set?

Buja Hodu also has gift sets in various sizes. From a light 15-piece gift up to 24 pieces..! And with the holiday coming up soon, they also offer wrapping cloth packaging.

For anyone traveling in Gyeongju looking for a souvenir gift set to bring back for family or friends, this seemed like a good place to browse. And if you have to visit elders for Chuseok, the fancy wrapping cloth packaging would be a nice touch too.

Tasting the Buja Hodu box at home, one pastry at a time

When you open the neat box packaging of the Buja Hodu walnut pastries, there's a business card included too. Apparently you can also order through their Smart Store!

Opening the package, the walnut pastries were neatly wrapped and, again, seriously big. About the size of the lip tint I use, more than two finger joints long..!

You can clearly see the whole walnuts inside even in photos, which gave it a different feel from regular walnut pastries. The outside is rice dough and the inside is a combo of low-sugar filling and walnut, making it a great snack, and since the flavor changes depending on the filling, I don't think you'd get tired of eating several.

Comparing the four fillings flavor by flavor

You can see the colors are slightly different in the photos too, right?

I thought it'd be nice to prep a mix of flavors at once and share with family.

The pastries themselves are so plump that even one is filling, and with walnuts inside there's extra texture to chew on. Cutting one in half, I could see the filling and walnuts packed tightly inside.

So this is worth trying not just for people who already like walnut pastries, but also for anyone in Gyeongju looking for a dessert that's a bit less common.

Looking for a snack or a gift on Hwangnidan-gil?

Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju has so much to see and so many good snacks. What I felt visiting Buja Hodu this time was that it covers both a good travel snack and a gift in one go. Especially with rice dough, big whole walnuts, and a variety of fillings, it felt a bit different from other walnut pastries. Above all, the pastries were so big and plump that they stuck in my memory from the first look lol.

If you're looking for a dessert spot on Hwangnidan-gil, or a Gyeongju souvenir gift set to take home, give Buja Hodu a try. It could also be a nice alternative to Gyeongju bread or Gyeongju chapssalbori-bbang if you want something a bit different. Grab one as a snack when you get hungry wandering Hwangnidan-gil, and if you like it, pack some up as a gift. Next time I visit Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju, I'd like to try the other fillings I didn't get to this time haha.

Buja Hodu address, hours and parking

• Address: 38 Poseok-ro 1095beon-gil, B-dong 105-ho, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 09:30–20:00
• Parking: Nearby public parking
• Packaging: Immediate takeout, wrapping cloth available
• Smart Store in operation (delivery available)