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INTERVIEW · HBAF

From a struggling almond importer to the snack travelers queue for

Ten years of Honey Butter Almond, and how HBAF became Korea's must-buy snack

Words by Dananuri Editorial|Oct 27, 2026|6 min read
Myeongdong, Seoul. HBAF's flagship store here has become a stop on many travelers' itineraries.
Myeongdong, Seoul. HBAF's flagship store here has become a stop on many travelers' itineraries.
Editor's noteThis story was reconstructed by Dananuri's editorial team from the public news reports and materials listed below. Text in quotation blocks is quoted from the original (translated where noted); Q&A answers summarize those reports. The MD Note reflects Dananuri's own view.

Ask an international traveler who has just tried Honey Butter Almond what they think, and the answer is usually the same: "Is this only sold in Korea?" That word of mouth has lasted ten years. HBAF's Myeongdong flagship is now a sightseeing stop, and the yellow packs are among the first things into baskets in Incheon Airport's duty-free food halls.[2][5]

The brand did not start glamorously. Its predecessor, Gilim Yanghaeng, imported US almonds into Korea from the 1980s. As import rules loosened and competitors arrived, the company reportedly had to survive on debt for a while.[3]

From importing almonds to making flavors

QHow was Honey Butter Almond born?

AHBAFThe 2014 "honey butter" craze was the trigger. The team spent about a year developing the idea, switching from frying seasoned nuts to coating roasted almonds, which created today's texture. It launched in January 2015 through a convenience store chain.[2]

QHow well did it sell?

AHBAFReports say 102.15 million packs sold in 2020 alone. The company has since grown into a business with annual sales of around KRW 100 billion.[4][3]

QWhy is it so popular with international visitors?

AHBAFDozens of flavors could only be found in Korea. Seasonings such as wasabi, roasted corn, injeolmi and garlic bread became souvenirs with a story. A moment on an overseas sports broadcast also made it an online talking point.[2]

Like Haribo, which people eat without knowing it's German, we want HBAF to grow into a global brand.

— Yoon Moon-hyun, CEO of HBAF, interview with Herald Economy (translated)[1]

The next ten years, in a new name

QWhy rename the company HBAF in 2021?

AHBAFIt stands for "Healthy But Awesome Flavor". The name signals a move beyond one product into nuts, popcorn and coffee. The line-up now runs to about 100 products.[1][2]

QWhat about overseas markets?

AHBAFThe company has been preparing to expand abroad, starting with the US, and opened its second China store in Shanghai in 2025. It reportedly produces around 30 flavors and is preparing low-sugar products.[1][5]

We want people to say, "The world's almond snack company turned out to be Korean."

— Yoon Moon-hyun, CEO of HBAF (translated)[1]
A company that once imported raw almonds now exports flavor.
A company that once imported raw almonds now exports flavor.

How HBAF sells in duty-free

DANANURI MD NOTEHBAF lets shoppers pick by price point. Single popcorn packs at one or two dollars work as in-flight snacks, 40g×6 multipacks at about nine dollars as office gifts, and the Myeongdong Calling and Hangang Picnic sets at twenty to forty dollars as family gifts. Dananuri runs 31 HBAF SKUs on Lotte and Shilla online duty free.
  • Sets named after Seoul places speak directly to souvenir demand.
  • 40g packs are light, so travelers buy several at once.
  • New categories such as popcorn and coffee mix get fast feedback from existing fans.

With Dananuri, onto the bigger stage of the airport

If Myeongdong introduced HBAF to the world, the last shopping stop of any trip is the departure-hall duty-free store. Dananuri is the distribution partner that has worked with HBAF to widen its duty-free reach, handling listing negotiations, price-tiered assortments, bonded logistics and in-store sales — everything a demanding channel like duty-free requires.

Today HBAF offers 31 SKUs on Lotte and Shilla online duty free through Dananuri: one more chance to reach travelers just before they leave Korea, opened together with Dananuri.

HBAF

In duty-free with Dananuri

Products Dananuri supplies to Lotte and Shilla online duty free. Tap a product for price comparison and store links.

All products from this brand (31) →

Same raw almonds, different flavor and story, and travelers open their wallets. That is HBAF's lesson for new partners, and duty-free is where the story travels best.

BE OUR NEXT STORY

We're looking for the next story

If you have great ingredients and a true story, Dananuri will set the duty-free stage, from listing review to in-store sales.

Propose a product →See the listing process

Sources

Reports and materials cited in this story. Each link opens the original.

  1. [1]헤럴드경제
    “하리보 젤리같은…글로벌 브랜드 ‘바프’ 만들 것” ↗
  2. [2]머니투데이 · 2025-01-04
    “한국 오면 꼭 사야해” 외국인 입소문…이 간식 10년째 ‘쇼핑 필수품’ ↗
  3. [3]조선비즈
    [자수성가 열전]④ 빚으로 연명하던 아몬드 수입사, 허니버터 묻혀 팔았더니 관광객 줄 섰다 ↗
  4. [4]한국경제 · 2021-02-24
    길림양행, 작년에만 1억215만봉지 팔렸다…아몬드 역사 다시 쓰는 HBAF ↗
  5. [5]매일경제 · 2025-06-18
    “한국 올때마다 무조건 사갑니다”…외국인들 필수 ‘쇼핑템’으로 뜨는 이 제품 ↗

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From a struggling almond importer to the snack travelers queue for | DANANURI F&C