Exploring Emart Traders Part 2: A Lot of Things You Can’t Find at Costco

Costco is an American company, and when it first opened in Korea, it was nothing short of a sensation. Its gigantic pizzas, affordable Kirkland products, and bulk meat sold in chunks still captivate the hearts of Korean consumers. However, E-Mart Traders, often dubbed as Korea’s Costco, lacked Kirkland products and the large pizzas. Therefore, they started to benchmark Costco by producing large-volume products.

I’ve come down to the first floor. The first floor is dedicated solely to food sales.

This fruit is called ‘chamoe,’ and in English, it’s known as the Korean melon.
It’s truly a Korean specialty! Interestingly, the seeds of the chamoe are sweet.
First-timers might find themselves scooping out the seeds.
The seeds aren’t hard at all.
Koreans typically eat them along with the fruit.

This Korean melon is smaller than a tennis ball.
It’s perfect as a snack for kids.

Avocado is priced at 17,980 won, mango at 16,980 won, and grapefruit at 15,980 won.
In Korea, fruits priced in the 10,000 won range are considered quite affordable.

Garlic That Koreans Love

This is minced garlic.
For Koreans, a spoonful of garlic is a must ㅎ

Chef John Torode’s definition of “a little garlic” in Korea, haha.

The subtitles say that in Korea, “a little garlic” means ten cloves, which is about a handful, haha.

The subtitles say that actually, I don’t really like garlic that much, so I’ll just add enough for the flavor to come through (just for the aroma), it says… haha.

Moving on, it’s eggs, and there are a lot!
About 60 eggs for 16,900 KRW, which is quite affordable.

This is green onion salad, a must-have when Koreans eat meat.
There’s a special seasoning underneath.
We call it ‘Pajeori,’ and if you make it in advance, it loses its moisture.
That’s why it’s prepared just 5 minutes before enjoying your meat.

This is dried persimmon, known for its chewy and sweet taste.
Personally, among dried fruits, dried persimmon is my favorite.

Here are the ingredients for Samgyetang. You can find them at the local market.
If you ever visit Korea, make sure to purchase them and simmer them with chicken in a pressure cooker.
The result is an absolutely delightful taste.

These are perilla leaves.
Only Koreans seem to enjoy them, right?
They have an aromatic flavor similar to cilantro.
It seems like most Koreans absolutely love perilla leaves.
They’re often used as wrap vegetables with meat.

This bell pepper is so long, haha.
I was amazed; it’s my first time seeing one like this.

Pineapples are so popular that there are only a few left.
1.5kg for 13,980 KRW.

These days, frozen food in Korea is getting tastier.
There used to be a perception that the quality wasn’t great,
but now the quality of frozen food has improved so much
that it’s selling very well.

It tastes great when you put egg mayo between the bread.

Imitation crab meat that mimics crab? I’m curious because it looks delicious.

Smoked duck is a favorite among Koreans.
I could easily devour two bowls of rice with just this dish.
Is it available in other countries too?
In Korea, we love dipping it in honey mustard sauce.

The shrimp here are massive!
I wonder if they taste as good as they look?
I’ve never tried them.
Back when I ran a pasta place, I ate so much shrimp that I got a little tired of them.

Pork belly (Korean)
It was around 2000 KRW per 100 grams, I believe.

Beef from the USA.
It’s affordable, so many people choose it over Korean beef.
Korean YouTubers often buy large chunks to age them.

US Chilled Choice Flower Ribeye
Doesn’t this look pretty tasty?

When it comes to marinated meats, personally, I think E-Mart Traders beats Costco in terms of flavor.
It seems like they’ve developed the taste to suit Korean palates.

I also tried the chicken, and it’s delicious.

Korean’s Beloved Hanwoo Beef
It was 110,000 KRW for 900g, which is quite affordable.
Since this is grade 1, the 1++ grade turns into white meat.
The flavor is rich and has a tender taste.

Chicken Gangjeong that my wife brought from the tasting corner.
It’s not really my taste.

Wrapping up after all the tasting.
Looks like we were the last ones.

They’re offering a discount on the chicken gangjeong we tasted.
But still, I’m not buying it, haha.

This is more my style.
Even though it’s cold, using the air fryer makes it tastier than chicken gangjeong.

This is a Korean-style chicken sauce.
It’s a product made by Emart Traders.
Dipping your drumsticks in this sauce makes them even tastier!

The difference from Costco is that Emart offers more Korean-style products.
But hey, Costco products are awesome too—Kirkland is the best!

My wife was checking out the garlic dipping sauce.
It says ‘sias’, and that place is known for its Korean sauces and seasonings.
Everything from there is delicious… lol.
That’s probably why my wife was so interested in it.

There are just too many frozen items, so I’ll save them for next time.
Even now, there’s so much to post that it’s overwhelming.. haha

Yellow soil charcoal grilled squid
I’m writing this as I’m eating it,
and it feels like my jaw might fall off..

What I really love is this softer side of things: barbecue-seasoned squid.

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic drink, and since it needs to be refrigerated, you can find it inside the fridge.

My absolute favorite makgeolli has a taste that feels like a mix of yogurt and soda. It’s an incredibly sophisticated flavor.

This is Sikhye, a traditional Korean drink.
It’s sweet and delicious!
Maybe I’ll write a detailed post about it someday?

If you see these kinds of snacks, just buy them.
The company even created a potato research lab because they’re crazy about potatoes.
These potato chips are incredibly tasty, especially the ones on the right.
The green and red ones are the best!

Here’s what we bought today.
Did it cost around 80,000 KRW?

This is how the checkout process looks with the cashier.

There’s always a pharmacy in Korean supermarkets.

Daegu, the city of glasses, also has an eyewear shop.

It’s a food court, but we arrived too late, so everything except slice pizza was sold out.
My wife and I decided to try it next time.

So, it’s called a pizza subscription. They give you three discount vouchers worth 10,000 won each (totaling a 30,000 won discount), and it costs 9,800 won.

A rare scene of digging into Baskin Robbins ice cream.

Heading home now.
Maybe it’s because I took so many photos, but I’m really tired.
My body feels exhausted too.

Honestly, writing this was also tough,
but I took them all diligently for you guys to see.
Thanks for checking it out!