Quiet Gangneung café with persimmon cream cheese sand and a rooftop

After playing around taking photos and videos at the beach, before heading over to Gangneung Jungang Market, I went to the main branch to buy Gangneung Sand — the snack everyone thinks of when they think of Gangneung! ‼️

I recommend putting in the exact address in your navigation app. In Gangneung, basically every shop slaps 'main branch' on their sign, so you might end up somewhere that isn't actually the original 😅😅

Gangneung Sand Main Branch: address, hours and parking

• 🚩 Location: 31 Seonggokgoyang-gil 5beon-angil, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea
• ⏰️ Hours: Daily 9:30 AM–7:00 PM / Last order: 6:30 PM
• 🚘 Parking: Open lot beside the building
• ⚠️ Note: Naver Smart Store shipping available

Today's yum yum~ 🍴 Gangneung Sand persimmon, Gangneung Sand corn

I parked comfortably in the lot beside the building on the first floor, and the moment I stepped out of the car, a rich butter smell 🧈💛 hit me and put me in a good mood. If you're a bread lover, you can feel it just from the smell — this place is heaven (๑˙╰╯˙๑)~

There's an elevator inside the building, so strollers and elderly visitors can get around easily...! The shop is on the second floor, but even the first-floor entrance is decorated so cutely that I took a photo while waiting for the elevator 🤭🤭

Is Gangneung Sand Main Branch a quiet café? Inside the 2nd floor and rooftop

The second-floor shop at Gangneung Sand Main Branch isn't just for buying Gangneung Sand — it's set up as a café too, and thanks to the interior with its refreshing blue accents, it felt like "this is Santorini!!💙" ᐢ⩌.⩌ᐢっ=͟͟͞͞ ⭐️‧⁺

Most cafés in Gangneung are pretty loud and busy, but Gangneung Sand Main Branch is peaceful, so I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet café in Gangneung too~ There's also a rooftop on top of the building where you can see a wide open view ( ᵔᵒᵔ )ᵍᵒᵒᵈᵎᵎ

Gangneung Sand is great as a gift when you visit Gangneung, and it tastes good too — the packaging is pretty, and since each piece is individually wrapped, it's easy to store and perfect as a dessert to have with coffee 👍👍

They sell breakwater bread as well as Gangneung Sand, so it should be a good option for anyone who thinks Gangneung Sand itself is a bit ordinary!

Which two of the six Gangneung Sand flavors I chose

Gangneung Sand comes in a variety of flavors — ☕️ coffee, 🍁 persimmon, 🌽 chowdang corn, 🧇 black sesame, 🍓 strawberry, 🫜 purple sweet potato — six in total, with something everyone from little kids to adults can enjoy!

Since this wasn't for a gift but for myself to eat, I picked two flavors and split them evenly, five each, with my baby tiger 🐯

How long Gangneung Sand keeps, and how to spot the real thing

When the Gangneung Sand lettering is yellow, that's the 🌽 corn flavor; orange means the 🍁 persimmon flavor. Gangneung Sand can be kept for 14 days at room temperature, 30 days refrigerated, and up to 90 days frozen. Since there are no preservatives, it's best to eat them soon! My new bread-loving other half couldn't even wait a week before it all went straight into his stomach lol

Gangneung Sand Main Branch won the gold prize at Gangneung's 2022 Tourism Souvenir Contest and proudly markets itself as the ✨️original✨️, with 'Gangneung Sand' stamped right onto the cookie so you can confirm it's genuine ⚠️Watch out for imitations⚠️

Chodang corn vs dried persimmon: how the two sands taste

In the corn flavor, you can bite into a kernel or two of actual corn, giving it a crunchy, popping texture. It also uses premium butter, so the flavor is really rich 🤍

The persimmon flavor has even more bits to chew than the corn one, and it's good too! I was worried, thinking 'won't dried persimmon be too sweet?' but since it's built on a cream cheese base, you only get a light touch of sweetness — it's a great snack to pair with coffee!

It's great to bring home as a gift for people around you after a trip, and it's also a simple dessert you can enjoy at home to remember your Gangneung trip by ‎(՞៸៸›⩊‹៸៸՞)🩷