Gyeongju walnut pastry shop with passion fruit ade: Buja Hodu

What souvenir is worth buying on Gyeongju's Hwangnidan-gil besides Hwangnam-ppang?

My pick instead of Hwangnam-ppang (Gyeongju's famous red bean pastry) was Buja Hodu (부자호두), a walnut pastry specialist on Hwangnidan-gil. Over last Chuseok holiday I visited Gyeongju for the first time in a while and did a bit of sightseeing. While wondering which Hwangnidan-gil spot to try, I ended up at Buja Hodu. Gyeongju usually means Hwangnam-ppang, but I'd eaten it plenty last time, so I wanted to try something different.

Walk toward the main road and Buja Hodu is on your right, a takeout-only walnut pastry shop. It's a good place to pick up a Hwangnidan-gil souvenir, and since it was Chuseok, they were also selling holiday gift sets.

Buja Hodu walnut pastry flavors and drink menu

Buja Hodu has three kinds of walnut pastry: the original with red bean, pea cream cheese, and matcha. It's an independent shop, not a chain. They said the 24-piece mix sells best, but I personally love red bean walnut pastries, so I ordered the original, packed on the spot in a paper bag.

For drinks there were americano, café latte, passion fruit ade, Gold Medal apple juice, and Bundaberg grapefruit. I ordered the passion fruit ade, a latte and an americano, and prices were generally low.

You can buy walnut pastries generously here, and each one is neatly wrapped individually, which felt hygienic. They bag your order right away, so packing was quick.

How does the red bean walnut pastry taste? A free sample

Despite plenty of red bean filling, Buja Hodu's red bean walnut pastry isn't too sweet; it's mild, and the whole walnut inside gives an exceptional nutty flavor. When we walked up, they cut one open for us to sample, and I was genuinely surprised by the taste. Personally, I liked it better than the walnut pastries I used to eat in Cheonan.

I was curious about the matcha and pea cream cheese too, but this time I decided to stick with red bean. I bought two bags: one for an older relative and one for myself.

Hwangnidan-gil has lots of good places to eat, but when you're wondering what souvenir to bring home after a meal or sightseeing, Buja Hodu seems like a good stop.

Buja Hodu menu for older relatives and kids

Buja Hodu has iced americano and also real red ginseng tea, so you could come with older relatives, order takeout drinks and sip them for a moment out front.

There's also a walnut ice cream affogato for something different, so you can order to taste. It works without coffee too, so handing one to each kid seems like a perfect Hwangnidan-gil treat.

Buja Hodu holiday bojagi wrapping and prices

For the holidays Buja Hodu can also do bojagi (traditional wrapping cloth) packaging, so it's a nice way to bring something prettily wrapped when visiting your parents' home or in-laws.

Prices aren't a burden either: it works out to about ₩1,000 per walnut pastry. There's also an almond praline flavor limited to 50 a day, and I did get a little curious what that tastes like.

Passion fruit ade and a bottle of sparkling water: Buja Hodu's drink service

Here are the takeout drinks, ready a little later. They even gave me a bottle of sparkling water to pour in after drinking some of the passion fruit ade, which touched me.

The coffee was better than I expected, which impressed me, and I thought I'd order from Buja Hodu again. This time it was a paper bag packed on the spot, but next time a box might be nice too.

Trying Buja Hodu walnut pastries again at home

I opened the walnut pastries that same evening. In their pretty paper bag, they felt almost too nice to eat.

Each pastry is carefully wrapped one by one, and with a whole walnut inside, they feel nicely hefty.

With that nutty aroma, kids could have them with milk, and adults could make a tea time of it with black tea or a cup of coffee.

One bite gives you a crisp-yet-soft shell, mild sweet red bean inside, and the crunchy, nutty walnut, all coming together nicely in your mouth.

It's a Hwangnidan-gil souvenir with really generous walnuts, and the kind of flavor that makes you want more. I've never had a walnut pastry with this much walnut.

That's why the older relatives liked them too. They're filling, good as a nutritious snack, and three or four could even stand in for a quick breakfast.

It's a Hwangnidan-gil spot I'd like to visit again, and next time I'll pick up a mix of other flavors too.

Buja Hodu location and hours

• Address: 38 Poseok-ro 1095beon-gil, Unit B-105, Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 09:30 - 20:00