BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s Favorite Snack Just Turned Into a Special Donut in the U.S.

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Korean snack brand Banana Kick by Nongshim has transformed into a donut in the United States. Teaming up with dessert café Knotted, Nongshim launched a signature Banana Kick Cream Donut at Knotted’s first overseas branch in Westfield, Los Angeles.

The donut features a cream filling that captures the soft, sweet flavor and aroma of Banana Kick, topped with the iconic snack itself. The collaboration plans to expand further, with a Banana Kick Cream Latte expected to join the menu soon — aiming to win even more love from local customers.

Banana Kick has recently seen a global surge in popularity, especially after several major K-pop stars revealed it as their favorite snack. One key moment came when BLACKPINK’s Jennie appeared on the Jennifer Hudson Show last month (April 10 local time) and introduced her favorite Korean snacks: Nongshim’s Shrimp Chips, Banana Kick, and Orion’s Goraebap.

While presenting the lineup, she pointed to Banana Kick and said, “This is the one I really want to talk about. It’s my favorite. It tastes amazing — you’ll get a surprisingly unique banana flavor you wouldn’t expect.”

That one statement triggered a social media frenzy, driving Nongshim’s stock price up for four consecutive days and drawing worldwide attention to the brand. Meanwhile, Nongshim has announced the launch of a new snack called Melon Kick, set to debut on April 21.

Melon Kick is the first new product in the “Kick” series in nearly 50 years, following the original Banana Kick, which debuted in 1978. The new snack blends Korean-grown musk melon and milk for a sweet and creamy flavor, and comes in a similar soft, curved puff shape.

Looking ahead, Nongshim plans to roll out more fruit-flavored snacks in the near future, and will begin exporting both Banana Kick and Melon Kick to the U.S., Japan, and China markets starting later this year.

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