When Candice Choi launched her Korean seaweed snack brand, Geem, in 2023, she thought the company would be strictly direct-to-consumer, with its marketing strategy relying primarily on TikTok. But within three months, the seaweed snacks were on the shelves of grocery stores, including some Whole Foods locations, where Geem chips sit next to kale chips and veggie straws. "There was so much confluence of people being really excited about our snacks and stores really willing to take us on that was really, really exciting," Choi told CNBC. "Traditionally, buyers are gatekeepers, and it takes years and years and years to develop those relationships, but they saw the category was growing, and we've been performing." Because of its explosive demand, Geem will be launching in Whole Foods stores across Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii in July, the company told CNBC exclusively. Geem's growth is indicative of a larger trend: As demand for global flavors in the U.S.…