Gangneung café for strawberry and black sesame sand: Gangneung Sand

Today, I visited Gangneung Sand, a dessert snack spot in Gangneung!

• Daily 09:30–19:00 (last order 18:30)
• Parking is available in front of the store

Gangneung Sand Main Branch exterior and floors

Gangneung Sand was seriously huge! Even though I come to Gangneung all the time, I had no idea a place like this existed~ Gangneung Sand is not sold in just one location either—there are several branches around Gangneung, so it seems easy to stop by whichever is closest during your trip! Along with the Central Gangneung Sand Main Branch, there are the Chodang directly operated branch, Anmok Beach branch, and Daegwallyeong Sheep Ranch branch, so I recommend fitting one into your travel route!

It runs from the basement through the fifth floor. The first floor has an experiential learning room and outdoor restroom, while the second-floor counter is where you can buy your treats! The third floor has a lounge and women-only restroom, the fourth floor is offices, and the fifth floor is the observatory entrance!

The spacious second-floor café and ordering

Head up to the second-floor counter and you get this café space~ There are plenty of seats and lots of room, so it feels pleasantly comfortable! From the entrance, the sweet, nutty scent of butter and baked goods hits your nose—I honestly did not think I could leave without buying something, haha.

Ordering at this kiosk is super convenient, and they also run various review events >_<

This place swept all the awards in Gangneung City's tourism-souvenir competition... Isn’t that seriously impressive? Haha.

Strawberry and black sesame among Gangneung Sand’s six flavors

There are six Gangneung Sand flavors in total! The staff picks are also explained clearly with photos, so even if you cannot decide, I think you can safely go with their recommendations~~!?

• Strawberry / coffee / dried persimmon
• Black sesame / purple sweet potato / Chodang corn
• Black sesame Gangneung Sand × 1
• Strawberry Gangneung Sand × 1

All picked up 🤍🩷🤎🖤 These Gangneung Sand treats are so pretty..! Even the packaging is delightfully pink—totally my style.

Strawberry Gangneung Sand flavor

Starting with the strawberry Gangneung Sand, each wrapper has “Gangneung Sand” written on it in strawberry pink.

The Gangneung Sand stamp is pressed right in, and it is so pretty >_< I could not wait and ate it straight in the car again, hahaha. It is packed with strawberry cream, and the buttery flavor really comes through... It was hard to stop at just one!

Black sesame Gangneung Sand flavor

The black sesame one felt a little nuttier than the strawberry, so I personally liked it even more! Maybe it is the kind of flavor that wins over people with old-fashioned tastes?...

Gift boxes and how they tasted after storage

Gangneung Sand is a leading Gangneung dessert snack and would be so great as a gift too! At ₩17,000 for 10, the price is just right. Their phrase about giving you Gangneung scenery in every bite was so charming to me-!

Strawberry and black sesame! As I mentioned, black sesame was more my style, while my husband, who has the taste buds of an elementary schooler, preferred strawberry -!

The generously filled buttercream was not at all heavy—so delicious!

After keeping mine in the refrigerator and taking it out to eat, the cookie became even crispier and it tasted nice and cool.

A Gangneung dessert snack where you can feel the care put into every detail of the strawberry and black sesame packaging, too!

The shelf life is pretty generous too! They taste great frozen straight from the freezer, and they are also delicious left at room temperature so the cream turns soft!

Gangneung Sand Main Branch itself is a very spacious café with lots to see, so it looked like a nice place to wander around during a trip, go up to the observatory, and relax. Most of all, the Gangneung Sand was so tasty that I kept reaching for it-! Since each one is individually wrapped, they are easy to unwrap one by one, and I highly recommend splitting a purchase half-and-half with friends!! I need to come back and try the coffee flavor next >_<

• People looking for snacks sold only in Gangneung
• People who want to enjoy a variety of six flavors
• People looking for a sweet snack that goes well with coffee or milk
• People wanting a delicious dessert that appeals to all ages and tastes