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One of the reasons Trader Joe’s has managed to amass a cult following is the fairly outside-of-the-box offerings it relies on to set itself apart from the rest of the pack. That includes its beloved “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning, which has started to cause some headaches for people who’ve attempted to bring it into South Korea.
In 2017, Trader Joe’s found itself with a hit on its hand when it rolled out what is officially known as the “Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend,” a mixture of salt, garlic, onion, and sesame and poppy seeds that’s obviously inspired by what I’d argue is objectively the best bagel flavor in existence.
In 2019, the mixture unseated Trader Joe’s freezer section G.O.A.T. Mandarin Orange Chicken as the favorite overall item in the store’s annual Customer Choice Awards (it was able to defend that crown the following year), so it comes as no surprise that the item is popular with people who stock up when they visit a store they normally don’t have access to.
Trader Joe’s currently operates close to 600 stores, but every single one of them is located in the United States (it once waged a legal battle with an unauthorized Canadian outpost dubbed “Pirate Joe’s” that closed in 2017).
As a result, it’s not rare for people visiting America to bring a sizeable TJ’s haul back home with them, which has led to officials in South Korea cracking down on one export that violates the country’s laws.
According to The Washington Post, customs agents at Incheon International Airport in Seoul are cracking down on travelers who arrive in the country with bottles of Everything But The Bagel seasoning (as well as other products that harness it), which the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety added to a list of banned items classified as “hazardous foods purchased overseas.”
As you may have surmised, the poppy seeds contained in the seasoning are the reason it’s outlawed, as South Korea views them as a narcotic thanks to the role the plant plays in the production of opiates.
People who are found with them in their possession can theoretically be sent to prison for up to five years and fined around $36,000, but when Everything But The Bagel products are to blame, officials are content with simply confiscating them.
You’ve been warned.