Among the countless new products pouring out of the retail and food industries each day, reporters from the Seoul Economic Daily's Lifestyle Industry Desk buy the hottest new items with their own money at stores, try them out, and share their reviews.
Bingsuheim is a product that grafts the flavor of patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans), the quintessential summer dessert, onto the identity of "Heim" snacks, which started with Choco Heim. The wafer portion uses matcha. The flavor description on the box reads: "the sweet, nutty taste of red beans and the bitter aroma of matcha."
The taste assessments, however, varied from reporter to reporter. While some found it as smooth and familiar as milk shaved ice, others felt it was less a bingsu than simply a "Patzheim." Some reacted that it evoked the "Bibibig" line of ice cream characteristic of mass-produced red bean desserts.
The point commonly raised was the price. Even reporters who viewed the taste itself positively hesitated once more at the 7,200 won price tag. While some suggested it would be better eaten chilled in the freezer, opinions diverged on whether it was persuasive enough to buy again over the original Heim.
Bingsuheim Matcha Patbingsu, 284g, 7,200 won
■ Ursa (The type who wants to wrap up the day with a Jack Coke after work but finds even taking out the ice too much of a hassle)
I found the novelty of the attempt interesting. The taste was more appealing than expected, and above all, it was faithful to its name. It kept the crispy texture of the original Heim while adding bingsu-flavored cream, so it didn't feel like just a simple limited-edition product. Still, the price makes you look twice.
Taste ★★★★☆
Price ★★★☆☆
Intent to repurchase ★★★★☆
■ Skinny Glutton (Eats everything, whether greasy or spicy. A whole chicken and a whole pizza are the baseline)
It was a snack that added sweet bingsu-flavored cream to the crispy, light wafer texture characteristic of the original Heim. Bite into it and the outside crunches apart crisply, while the cream inside brings up a smooth, nutty sweetness like milk shaved ice.
Rather than a strong, ice-cold taste despite being bingsu-flavored, it's closer to milk shaved ice with a light drizzle of condensed milk, or patbingsu cream turned into a snack. The cream is sweet with a slight hint of powdered milk and milk flavor, making it smooth and familiar.
Overall, the combination of crispy wafer and sweet milk cream makes it easy to eat without feeling heavy. That said, the sweetness lingers on the finish, so it would pair better with an Americano or plain milk.
Taste ★★★★☆
Price ★★★★☆
Intent to repurchase ★★★★☆
■ Dreaming Gourmet (Likes intuitive flavors but tries to slowly savor the layers of food. Prefers bread over rice. Loves cilantro, loves coconut!)
Couldn't they have just called it Patzheim instead of bingsu? The package design lacks character, and the red bean flavor only comes up after a few chews. I wonder if it would be different eaten from the freezer, but even so, I don't have high expectations. It seems to need a recipe that lets you enjoy it more.
Taste ★☆☆☆☆
Price ★☆☆☆☆
Intent to repurchase ☆☆☆☆☆
■ Mint Choco Guardian (Likes both spicy and sweet, but absolutely hates anything "too" spicy or sweet. The type who needs something spicy as a palate cleanser after eating something sweet)
I was satisfied that it kept the sweetness and crispiness you expect from Heim while also letting the matcha flavor come through well. They say it's tastier eaten chilled from the freezer, but I couldn't do that during this tasting, which was a bit of a letdown. The price is a little wicked, but personally I'm going to try buying the product and eating it cold.
Taste ★★★☆☆
Price ★☆☆☆☆
Intent to repurchase ★★☆☆☆
■ Three Coffees a Day (A walking melting pot of tastes, from Korean to Mediterranean. Who you eat with matters more than what you eat)
Is "Bibibig" truly the maximum red bean flavor that mass-produced desserts can achieve? Just as Sun Wukong couldn't escape Buddha's palm, both the "Walnut Cookie-flavored Margaret" featured in last week's New Product Unboxing and this week's Bingsuheim were merely variations on the Bibibig flavor.
It has the rich, premium sweetness that is Choco Heim's strength. It's not a sweetness that ends at the tip of the tongue; after the Bibibig flavor sets in, the sweetness pushes all the way up to the back of the throat. The matcha flavor in the wafer wasn't strongly noticeable. I'd eat it if it were the only snack around, but if it were lined up next to the original Choco Heim, I'd reach for the original.
Taste ★★★☆☆
Price ★★☆☆☆
Intent to repurchase ★★☆☆☆
■ Taste Scrooge (A picky palate that rarely gives ordinary desserts a second look. But once won over, the classic "fixed-preference" eater who sticks to one thing)
For something billed as matcha patbingsu flavor, the matcha aroma was barely noticeable. Meaning the matcha presence wasn't strong, and the red beans too were closer to the sweetness-focused red bean flavor commonly found in low-cost patbingsu than to a premium red bean paste taste, which was somewhat disappointing. As expected, Choco Heim — the classic is best. You should stay faithful to your core business rather than making needless variations.
Taste ★★☆☆☆
Price ★★☆☆☆
Intent to repurchase ★☆☆☆☆
