One of Korea’s most familiar comfort-food flavours is getting a new convenience-store-friendly form. On October 26, 2026, Nongshim is scheduled to launch Nurungji Pop Mini (누룽지팝 미니), a bite-size version of its toasted-rice snack. The new line comes in sweet and spicy varieties, with different store availability for each.
If you have never tried nurungji, this is a useful introduction to a Korean food tradition that is finding a second life on snack shelves.
1. First, what is nurungji?
Nurungji (누룽지) is the golden, toasted layer of rice that forms at the bottom of a pot during cooking. Koreans have long enjoyed it for its roasted aroma and crisp texture, sometimes eating it as a crunchy snack and sometimes adding hot water to make a comforting rice drink or porridge-like dish.
That background matters because Nurungji Pop is not simply a bag of traditional homemade scorched rice. Nongshim introduced the original brand in April 2025 as a thin, cracker-style interpretation of the flavour and texture. The company says the rice ingredient it uses is made entirely from glutinous rice. That does not mean the finished snack contains only rice, so the full ingredient list is still worth reading.
2. Two flavours, but different places to find them
The new mini line has two varieties. Nurungji Pop Mini Sweet (달콤한맛) adds sweetness to the familiar roasted-rice flavour. Nurungji Pop Mini Spicy (매콤한맛) uses a stir-fried gochujang-style seasoning for a savoury kick. Both come in small pieces and a pouch designed to stand upright on a desk or table.
According to Nongshim’s launch announcement, the spicy version is intended for convenience stores, large supermarkets and smaller supermarket chains (SSMs). The sweet version is listed for large supermarkets and SSMs, not convenience stores. That distinction is useful if you are hunting for both flavours during a short visit to Korea.
3. Why traditional flavours are getting modern formats
Nongshim reports that the broader Nurungji Pop brand has passed ₩30 billion in cumulative sales since its April 2025 introduction. That figure is a company-reported total for the brand, not sales of the mini products, which are only launching now.
The company says the original snack found an audience among office workers looking for something easy to keep at work. The mini version continues that convenience-first approach: smaller pieces, upright pouch storage and familiar flavours in a contemporary format. It is another example of Korean snack makers updating everyday food memories rather than inventing an entirely new taste.
4. What shoppers should check
For international visitors, the easiest starting point may be a convenience store for the spicy variety or a larger supermarket if you want to compare both. However, an announced distribution channel is not a guarantee that every branch has stock on launch day.
Check the Korean flavour names, pack size and shelf price before buying. Nongshim’s announcement does not specify a universal retail price. Because the spicy version uses a gochujang-inspired seasoning, check the ingredient and allergen label if you have dietary restrictions. If you want to understand the original flavour first, try traditional nurungji at a Korean restaurant or market and compare the textures for yourself.
The ThisKovery Take
Nurungji Pop Mini is a small product launch with a bigger cultural story. Korea’s snack shelves are increasingly turning familiar foods into portable, shareable discoveries. The fun is recognising the old flavour inside a very modern packet.