Gwangju bakery with cooler bag takeaway to Seoul: Ssukseu Choco Pie

It had been a while since I visited Gwangju, and going home empty-handed felt like something was missing, so I stopped by Songjeong Station Market across from Gwangju Songjeong Station.

If you're heading to catch a train, walking through Songjeong Station Market is basically a must — and if you go all the way in, you'll spot it! Ssukseu Choco Pie, perfect for a dessert gift.

Ssukseu Choco Pie

What is Ssukseu Choco Pie? The original fresh choco pie shop

Turns out this is the original mugwort choco pie place! I'd seen plenty of regular choco pies, but mugwort choco pie is pretty unusual — apparently they make the trendy "fresh choco pie" style, so it's said to be a must-stop on any Gwangju bakery pilgrimage.

And apparently they've now opened a location at Gwangjang Market in Seoul too!!

Reading the description posted in the store, Ssukseu Choco Pie doesn't use food coloring, preservatives, emulsifiers, shortening, or margarine — and since it's a fresh choco pie, real cream is used instead of marshmallow!! You can already imagine how good that tastes with real cream inside, right?

6-piece gift set price and reserved pickup at Ssukseu Choco Pie

Buying 6 à la carte pieces — choco pie, scone, or cookie — normally costs ₩28,800, but if you get the 6-piece gift set, you can snag it at a discounted ₩24,800! Reserving even means you can pick it up with no wait, so if your train schedule is tight, I recommend reserving ahead before you visit!

Does a cooler bag keep the choco pies good all the way to Seoul?

If you add the ice pack like I did, it holds up fine all the way to Seoul, so this is a Gwangju Songjeong Station spot that's easy to stop by right before catching your train.

The packaging box itself was so clean and cute that it put me in a good mood even on the train ride up to Seoul — this really is a famous Gwangju Songjeong Station bakery, I thought.

Refrigerate the choco pies right after pickup!! If immediate storage isn't possible like in my case, the store can also pack them with an ice cooler bag. Refrigerated storage lasts 8 days and frozen storage lasts up to 30 days, so keep that in mind.

Tasting all six Ssukseu choco pie flavors

Opening up the bright green box...

Six choco pies fit snugly inside the box. With their neat individual wrapping, these would also make popular return gifts for first birthday parties or weddings.

Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort and Jeju Udo peanut

Let me try describing the flavors of all six: No. 1, Geomundo sea-breeze mugwort — true to its signature status, a deep mugwort aroma fills your mouth with a gentle sweetness, an absolute must for anyone with an "old-person palate" like mine!! Jeju Udo peanut — the distinctive nutty flavor of Udo peanuts blends with the cream for a nutty-sweet combo that's insane.

Sea-breeze mugwort injeolmi (chewy rice cake)

Next up was the rest of the mugwort lineup!!!

The mugwort injeolmi (sweet rice cake) flavor pairs a nutty soybean powder aroma with the mugwort really well. It does scatter powder everywhere when you eat it, but I wasn't about to miss a single grain of that injeolmi powder, so I picked it up with my hands.

Sea-breeze mugwort with whole red bean

For the mugwort whole red bean, I didn't expect the beans to stand out much, but the whole red bean cream totally hit that old-person-palate craving — it almost tasted like a Bibibig ice cream bar???

Nonsan strawberry and real chocolate

Nonsan strawberry blends tartness and sweetness in a way that's hard for anyone to dislike! I finished it off in the blink of an eye.

Real chocolate is the ultimate sweet-tooth flavor — the cocoa powder dusted on the outside makes the chocolate taste richer and deeper. When you need a sugar recharge, pair it with an iced Americano and stress just melts away.

Why Ssukseu Choco Pie works as a Gwangju dessert gift

The bread is fluffy and packed with real cream, so if you visit Ssukseu Choco Pie, the Gwangju Songjeong Station café, and get it packed with an ice bag, it holds up all the way to Seoul — an easy Gwangju Songjeong Station spot to stop by right before your train.

If you need a dessert gift while in Gwangju, this would get the best reaction. If you're wrapping up a Gwangju trip, looking for a Gwangju Songjeong Station bakery, or planning to pick up dessert at a Gwangju Songjeong Station café, be sure to stop by Ssukseu Choco Pie, a go-to spot near Gwangju Songjeong Station!!