Tyler Rasch, left, and Nidhi Agrawal, both famous TV personalities in Korea, hold their Hangeul Kwaja, Korean alphabet-shaped cookies, during an interview with The Korea Times in Bukchon neighborhood in central Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Imagine a cookie that speaks volumes — quite literally. American Tyler Rasch and Indian Nidhi Agrawal, both famous TV personalities in Korea, have baked a whole new way to experience the Korean language courtesy of Hangeul Kwaja.

These are the first-ever "hangeul" character-shaped biscuits, launched to celebrate Hangeul Day, which commemorates the promulgation of Hangeul — the Korean alphabet — in 1446 by King Sejong of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), last year.

Each packet of Hangeul Kwaja includes consonants and vowels that allow anyone to form common Korean words and phrases.

According to founders Rasch and Agrawal, people enjoy making various words with the cookies. "Many start with their names, followed by 'annyeong' (hello), 'saranghae' (I love you) and 'gomawo' (thank you)," Rasch said during an interview with The Korea Times in Bukchon neighborhood in central Seoul, Tuesday. Both Rasch and Agrawal spoke in Korean for the interview.

Rasch has become a well-known figure in Korea, recognized from shows like "Non-Summit" and "Hot Brain: Problematic Men" for his linguistic skills and his recent focus on environmental issues. Agrawal moved to Korea in 2016, keen on bridging Indian and Korean markets. After gaining experience at several Korean companies, she launched her business.

The concept for Hangeul-shaped snacks emerged while Rasch was considering motivational prizes for his English communication program, SpeakUp MeetUp, co-founded with Agrawal.

"I remembered the alphabet cookies from my childhood and wondered if a Korean equivalent existed," Rasch said.

Surprisingly, it did not, leading to the idea of creating Hangeul Kwaja, with the aim of launching it on Hangeul Day, which falls on Oct. 9.

Mugwort is one of the key flavors of Hangeul Kwaja, alongside garlic, inspired by Korea's founding legend of Dangun. Courtesy of Hangeul Kwaja

Storytelling through flavors

The development of Hangeul Kwaja was a whirlwind, with just a month and a half from conception to launch.

"We started from scratch, developing the recipe, cookie and packaging in time for a crowdfunding campaign for Hangeul Day. I can hardly remember how the month passed," Agrawal recalled.

The flavors of Hangeul Kwaja not only delight the palate but also tell a story.

"We experimented with various flavors initially — from basics like chocolate, cheese and vanilla to distinctly Korean ones like red pepper powder, kimchi, ginger and onion," Agrawal said.

Rasch added that they aimed to create flavors that reflected the essence of Hangeul. "It was challenging to incorporate a playful element with King Sejong, so we turned to the legend of Dangun, the mythical founder of Korea, for inspiration."

In the legend, a tiger and a bear prayed to the heavenly prince Hwanung to turn them into humans. Hwanung tasked them with eating only garlic and mugwort and avoiding sunlight for 100 days. The tiger quit after 20 days, but the bear succeeded, transforming into a woman named Ungnyeo. She later gave birth to Dangun Wanggeom, the founder of Gojoseon, Korea's first dynasty.

"The garlic and mugwort from this myth provided a rich narrative backdrop for our product. Thus, we developed characters based on the tiger and bear and introduced garlic and mugwort as key flavors," Rasch explained.

Rasch revealed that mugwort is his favorite flavor.

"Perhaps it's because I have the palate of an 'ajeossi' (Korean word for a middle-aged man), but I particularly enjoy mugwort ... Our mugwort cookies offer a taste that lingers," he said.

Agrawal noted that each flavor pairs well with specific drinks — garlic is great with beer, mugwort complements wine well, chocolate goes with milk or yogurt, and rice is a flavor that foreigners often associate with Korea.

"We plan to explore more flavors, but garlic and mugwort will remain our signature flavors," she said.

Additional flavors experimented with include "injeolmi" (rice cake with soybean powder), "misutgaru" (Korean grain powder), black sesame, sweet red bean, peanut and chili powder.

Hangeul Kwaja introduced two new flavors, rice and chocolate, for Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Valentine's Day, respectively, in February. Courtesy of Hangeul Kwaja

Expanding appeal

"At first, we did not unveil that Tyler and Nidhi were behind Hangeul Kwaja. We wanted to gauge the profitability of this project solely based on the product, so we promoted it only as a Hangeul-shaped cookie developed by two foreigners," Rasch said.

The crowdfunding exceeded expectations, reaching 370 percent of their goal. However, they realized that the platform wasn't ideal for their handmade product, which couldn't be tasted in advance by backers.

To better connect with customers, Rasch and Agrawal launched a series of pop-up shops. The initial pop-up in December faced challenges due to insufficient promotion time and the complexities involved in pre-purchasing on their website and picking up at the event.

"We envisioned hosting diverse pop-ups monthly as we refined Hangeul Kwaja's concept, philosophy and target customers. Many perceive it as a learning tool for children, we saw the potential for adults to enjoy it as well," Agrawal said. "Therefore, we established three core principles for our brand — expressing emotions, fostering creativity and providing entertainment."

In February, they hosted another event at Nono Shop, a zero-waste cafe owned by their friend Julian Quintart.

"We debuted two new flavors there, rice and chocolate, created specifically for Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Valentine's Day, respectively. Both were well-received," Agrawal said.

From March 19 to April 5, another pop-up took place at the H'Ongi wine bar in Yongsan District, central Seoul from March 19 to April 5.

"This time, we paired the cookies with various liquors and introduced the Game Night series, where participants could engage in word games using Hangeul Kwaja. The event was a hit and we received positive feedback urging us to organize it monthly," Agrawal said.

Hangeul Kwaja continue to explore new opportunities for expansion such as a more interactive pop-up at AK & Hongdae Branch in May. Courtesy of Hangeul Kwaja

Korea's new souvenir

Rasch reminisced about being the first foreigner to host an official government event during the Hangeul Day ceremony at Gyeongbok Palace in 2021.

"Having lived in Korea for 13 years, I've witnessed significant changes. The country is becoming more inclusive of foreigners and hosting the Hangeul Day event underscored how Korea is embracing globalization through its language and script," Rasch said.

In line with this spirit of cultural exchange, Hangeul Kwaja will be presented as gifts to the winners of The Korea Times' inaugural 2024 Korean Language Speaking Contest.

Agrawal shared her personal connection to language learning, which inspired their sponsorship. "I recall winning second place in a Korean language contest shortly after arriving in Korea, which boosted my confidence tremendously. Partnering with The Korea Times for the speaking contest is our way of empowering more learners of Korean."

Rasch added, "Hangeul Kwaja isn't just about making cookies; it's about embodying the values of our brand and communicating them effectively. While we're based in Korea, our goal is to connect globally and supporting The Korea Times' speaking contest aligns perfectly with this vision."

As Hangeul Kwaja grows, the founders continue to explore new opportunities for expansion, including more interactive pop-ups and potentially entering mass production.

Their next event is scheduled for May at the AK & Hongdae Branch, a location frequented by a significant number of foreigners. "We're curious to see how foreigners will respond to Hangeul Kwaja this time," Agrawal said.

The pop-up will feature not only the cookies but also cute keyrings and other merchandise related to Hangeul Kwaja as they assess its potential as a "home brand."

Rasch expressed a hopeful vision for the future.

"I wish for a trend where Hangeul Kwaja becomes the go-to gift on Hangeul Day, perhaps even the snack of choice at government events. Ideally, we'd also see our cookies sold in airports as a quintessential Korean souvenir. It would be both fun and meaningful, serving as a unique way to promote Korean culture globally."

Agrawal added, "When you think of India, you think of curry. We want Hangeul Kwaja to be synonymous with Korea as its signature taste."