If you’re Korean, you’ve probably had Binggrae‘s famous banana milk at one point. First released in 1974, this dairy product has been steadily popular amongst all age groups. Originally created to get more citizens to drink milk, Binggrae’s banana milk has expanded to different flavors, such as strawberry, and other companies have started creating flavored milk as well.
Recently, there has been an abundance of banana-flavored milk, and since I’m here in Korea, I’ve decided to try a few. After visiting three nearby stores, I found six different banana milk, and conducted the ultimate taste test. Here are the six different milks I’ve tried (in one sitting for more accuracy), sorted by lowest unit price.
YouUs Snoopy Banana Milk
500ml (425kcal), 1500 KRW ($1.31)
This huge carton of banana milk was super cute, and wasn’t too sweet. Although I liked that it didn’t hit you with the artificial wave of banana, it was still pretty weak and tasted almost like plain milk. This banana milk did have a clean aftertaste, and wasn’t too thick.
Maeil Banana Milk
240ml (150kcal), 1200 KRW ($1.05)
The only white colored banana milk of the bunch, its name translates to “bananas are originally white.” With a slight artificial taste, this banana milk was actually the smoothest. It tasted pretty similar to the Binggrae banana milk, and wasn’t overly sweet.
Binggrae Banana Milk
240ml (210kcal), 1300 KRW ($1.14)
The original banana milk, it’s a perfect balance of sweet and banana. It’s super addictive, and I could probably drink the whole 4-pack in one sitting. Not too watery, but not too thick either— best drank cold, with skinny yakult straws.
Seoul Milk Banana Milk
220ml (195kcal), 1200 KRW ($1.05)
This one had the sweetest, most banana flavor than the others. As the name suggests (“tasty sweet banana milk”), it was super sweet and flavorful, which made it taste almost artificial. Personally, I wasn’t a fan, but it may be best for those with a sweet tooth.
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Banana
190ml (80kcal), 1200 KRW ($1.05)
As it is an almond milk variety, you could definitely taste and feel the almond. Slightly grainy, it wasn’t too sweet, and it boasts the low-calorie label on the carton. The banana flavor didn’t really mingle well with the almond milk and tasted somewhat artificial
YouUs Minions Banana Milk
270ml (195kcal), 2000 KRW ($1.75)
This one was the cutest of the six, but was also the most expensive. It tasted very similar to the original Binggrae banana milk, and was actually not bad at all. I guess the question is: Why buy something more expensive when you can get the original for cheaper? (Unless you want the container, of course.
Although I love banana milk, I was feeling the sugar hit me pretty hard after this taste test. Each had its subtle differences, but I guess my mouth was used to the original Binggrae banana milk, and I liked it the most. I encourage you to try some on your own (but not six in one sitting unless you want to inject your system with sugar water)!
Disclaimer: the prices are the suggested retail prices in KRW (~ 0.00089USD). Most of these products are usually on sale, while some products are only limited to certain stores.