Gyeongju walnut pastry shop: flavor order and air fryer tip, Buja Hodu

After agonizing over what Gyeongju souvenir gift set to buy, I found it: the Buja Hodu 15-piece box (a Hwangnidan-gil dessert favorite)

Today I'm bringing you a place I really wanted to introduce after visiting Gyeongju. Whenever I'm stuck deciding what Gyeongju souvenir gift set to buy, I think this is the place I'll think of first from now on.

It's Buja Hodu, the walnut pastry (hodu-gwaja) spot on Hwangnidan-gil.

Where is Buja Hodu on the Hwangnidan-gil walking route?

Buja Hodu sits right on Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju, so it's easy to slot into a travel route. The address is 38 Poseok-ro 1095beon-gil, Building B, Unit 105, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk, South Korea.

It's a natural stop while wandering Hwangnidan-gil, and with plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby, it was easy to plan the rest of the walk around it.

What's inside the Buja Hodu 15-piece box?

The moment I opened the Buja Hodu 15-piece box, that nutty walnut-pastry smell hit me and I was already in a good mood. Each piece is individually wrapped, sized just right for one bite, and the golden-brown surface looked delicious just to look at.

Below)) I cut a cross-section with scissors so you can see it pressed open.

How does the red bean walnut pastry taste?

I started with the most classic option, red bean paste (patjang-geum). Splitting it in half, the filling packed the inside completely, and one bite gave that nutty walnut and sweet red bean combo together — basically the textbook walnut pastry flavor.

The outside was slightly crisp and the inside moist, so the texture was great too. The sweetness wasn't overdone, just right, the kind adults would enjoy. Of the three flavors, I felt this was the safest one to gift to anyone.

How does the pea cream cheese walnut pastry taste?

Honestly, this combination was the one I was most curious about. The nutty, subtly sweet flavor of pea (wandu) paired with the softness of cream cheese made for a flavor completely different from the red bean.

The slightly salty note characteristic of cream cheese followed right after, so the sweetness never felt heavy, and the crunch of walnut on top kept things interesting. I felt like this would work as a proper dessert with coffee. Especially recommended for anyone who finds sweet red bean a bit much.

Matcha flavor and the best order to eat the three

The matcha one stood out from the cross-section alone — the vivid green made it great for photos too. One bite brings matcha's bitter aroma first, followed by a gentle sweetness, which suited anyone who likes deep, intense flavors.

I'd recommend eating the red bean or cream cheese ones first and finishing with matcha last, since it wraps things up cleanly.

To sum up, the Buja Hodu 15-piece walnut pastry box let me enjoy three distinct charms in one box — the heartiness of red bean, the softness of pea cream cheese, and the bitterness of matcha. Satisfying both as a gift and as a snack with coffee at home.

How to reheat Buja Hodu walnut pastries in an air fryer

First, warming it up slightly makes the dough softer and the filling moister, closer to fresh-baked. I reheated mine in the air fryer at 180°C for 3 minutes.

Second, pairing it with an Americano or warm tea balances out the sweetness nicely. Third, if you can't finish it all at once, seal it airtight and reheat before eating. Please check the product's own storage and shelf-life guidelines.

Who should buy the Buja Hodu 15-piece gift box?

• Anyone who wants to try several walnut pastry flavors at once
• Anyone who likes red bean as a base but is curious about different flavors too
• Anyone looking for a not-too-sweet dessert or coffee snack
• Anyone who loves matcha desserts
• Anyone trying to figure out a low-pressure gift snack for parents or friends

Worth checking before you go.