Above, buoyed by the growing popularity of Korean culture —K-pop, K-beauty and K-food—the crispy, gooey snack has now spread beyond the coasts to the Midwest and South. (Photo source Owen Berg for NBC

Above, buoyed by the growing popularity of Korean culture —K-pop, K-beauty and K-food—the crispy, gooey snack has now spread beyond the coasts to the Midwest and the South. (Photo source: Owen Berg for NBC)