Gyeongju souvenir walnut pastries over barley bread: Buja Hodu

A walnut pastry lover's pick! Buja Hodu on Gyeongju's Hwangnidan-gil

Why we chose walnut pastries for dessert on Hwangnidan-gil

Hwangnidan-gil in Gyeongju is absolutely packed with desserts and snacks. So many pretty cafés, so many menus you can only find in Gyeongju — it's honestly a bit of a struggle deciding what to eat. But since I was with my husband, who somehow always ends up holding a bag the moment he spots a walnut pastry shop, we went with walnut pastry as our Hwangnidan-gil dessert!

Honestly, I used to think walnut pastries were pretty much the same no matter where you got them, but one bite of Buja Hodu's changed my mind! The walnut inside was way bigger than I expected. Like, literally a whole walnut goes in! That's probably why it's called Buja Hodu ("rich/wealthy walnut") :D

Buja Hodu address, hours and parking in Gyeongju

• Name: Buja Hodu
• 📍 38 Poseok-ro 1095beon-gil, Dong B, Unit 105, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
• ⏰ Hours: Daily 09:30–20:00
• 🅿️ Parking: Use the nearby public parking lot

Finding Buja Hodu on Gyeongju's Hwangnidan-gil

Buja Hodu sits in a backstreet off Hwangnidan-gil, a must-do stop on any Gyeongju trip. There's so much food along Hwangnidan-gil that half the fun is hunting for something new — but this time we decided to go for something familiar instead and try walnut pastry!

We got the 24-piece mix. It lets you try several flavors at once, so if it's your first visit, going for the mix seems like a solid choice. (Low-sugar red bean + pea cream cheese + matcha.) And since eating just walnut pastry felt like it needed a drink, we also ordered an iced americano — oh, and the coffee was actually pretty good too :D

The nutty sweetness of the walnut pastry with iced americano — a perfect match!

There are outdoor tables out front too, which made it the perfect little rest stop while wandering around Hwangnidan-gil :D

Buja Hodu walnut pastries: a whole walnut in every piece

Buja Hodu's biggest standout is, of course, the walnut! Split a pastry in half and you'll spot a whole walnut sitting right inside. This isn't a case of a few crushed walnut bits sprinkled in — the walnut has serious presence!

Is the Buja Hodu box a good Gyeongju souvenir gift?

A walnut pastry with a whole walnut packed inside — no wonder it's called Buja Hodu! Haha. With walnuts used so generously, it feels more upscale than your typical walnut pastry, and I thought it'd make a great gift too. Time to retire chapssalbori-ppang as the go-to Gyeongju souvenir!

All 24 pieces gone in one day at home

With 24 pieces, I figured we'd freeze the leftovers — but they were so good they got wiped out in a single day, haha. Being low-sugar red bean filling, it wasn't overly sweet, and the big walnut had this satisfying crunch. With most walnut pastries, it's all about the filling, but here the nutty texture of the walnut really came through more.

How do the pea cream cheese and matcha flavors taste?

The pea cream cheese and matcha walnut pastries also came loaded with a big chunk of walnut. The pea cream cheese one was on the mild side, with the nuttiness of pea balancing the soft, slightly salty cream cheese. The matcha had a strong matcha aroma with a touch of bitterness, and as you chewed, the matcha flavor and walnut nuttiness rose together — a totally different experience from a regular walnut pastry! Definitely recommend trying all of them :D

Buja Hodu makes walnut pastries with real walnut inside, and it worked for both my husband, a walnut pastry fanatic, and me, someone who's not into overly sweet desserts — a premium walnut pastry that pretty much everyone would like!

One-line verdict: A life-changing walnut pastry where the walnut is truly the star!

• Recommended for: Anyone who loves a nutty walnut pastry with real whole walnuts inside
• Recommended for: Anyone deciding on a Gyeongju travel souvenir or a light gift
• Would I go back: Yes. If I'm ever back on Hwangnidan-gil, this is a definite stop!