K-Cuisine and K-Media: A Scrumptious Mix
Yuri Ji
Journalist, The Farmers Newspaper
Korean cuisine is sparking the interest of people all over the world: bibimbap was last year’s most Googled recipe, people in the US queue outside Trader Joe’s to get their fix of frozen gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), and kimchi seasoning is quick to sell out on Amazon. The global presence of K-cuisine today is impressive.
And yet, this recent attention is in fact nothing new. Kimchi exports first began back in the 1980s, and it is common for Korean expatriates living in countries such as Japan and China to open Korean restaurants that cater to the tastes of locals. However, recent K-cuisine trends are particularly interesting due their unique nature, departing from the previously popular and traditional kimchi, bibimbap, and bulgogi with a noticeable diversification of dishes. In 2023, the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Agency jointly administered a survey to 9,000 foreigners living in 18 cities outside Korea. Respondents chose Korean fried chicken as their favorite Korean food, followed by Korean ramyeon (instant noodles). Dishes whose Korean origins are somewhat questionable are also flying off the shelves: Korean-style dumplings have found their way into American and European markets where consumers simply refer to them by their Korean name, "mandu," differentiating them from Chinese dumplings for their distinct shape and taste. Even Korean takes on foreign snacks, such as ttungcarons (lit. fat macarons) and "croffles" (croissants toasted in a waffle iron), are counted as Korean food and given the "K-" prefix.
Such changes are a direct result of the success of Korean media. With multiple Korean television series and films becoming international hits, audiences are naturally developing an interest in the foods featured. Dining scenes often introduce Korean food culture in addition to the dishes and drinks themselves. In the 2013 series My Love from the Star, Jun Ji Hyun played protagonist Cheon Song-yi, an avid consumer of fried chicken. Her character would frequently appear holding a piece of chicken in one hand and a beer in the other. The series was phenomenally successful in Southeast Asia and established the typical combination of chimaek (chicken + maekju [beer]) as a “hip and trendy” Korean dish.
A more recent trend is that of samso (samgyeopsal + soju). When Korean singer Jay Park launched his own line of soju, it attracted international interest in Korean alcohol. Fans took note as multiple K-pop artists and Korean actors extolled the combination of samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) and soju on variety shows. Almost any fan of Korean TV knows that an office dinner in Korea is most likely going to incorporate samso. Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, MBC series The Red Sleeve captivated audiences in their teens and twenties, leading Korean yakgwa (honey cookies) and terms like “K-retro” and “halmennial” (halmeoni [granny] + millennial) to take off.
Social media platforms like YouTube have also helped K-cuisine evolve from simple food to an experience. YouTubers upload videos of themselves preparing and eating Korean food, and followers who "like” such posts often look up other content related to Korean food or try out a local Korean restaurant.
A certain brand of spicy Korean noodles owes a large part of its success to YouTube mukbang (eating show) clips; in fact, the extreme heat and spice of the noodles gave birth to the novel “mukbang challenge” genre. YouTubers around the world would subject themselves to the fiendishly fiery noodles and share their reactions with subscribers from all corners of the globe. “K-spice” was just the thing for Gen Z, a generation known for their love of trying new things and testing limits. Just about everyone took on this mukbang challenge, and as a result, 5.3 billion packs of the spicy noodles have been sold globally as of September 2023. In this way, even YouTube’s algorithm contributes to the diversity of Korean cuisine.
Last year, Korean agricultural produce and food exports stood at a record USD 9.16 billion (KRW 12.28 trillion), and sustained popularity is expected for K-cuisine in the upcoming years. With K-pop well-established in the global pop music scene and Squid Game season two and Sweet Home season three, both sequels to global hits, slated to premiere on Netflix this year, K-cuisine is sure to soar higher than ever on the wings of K-media.
Please note: This article has been authored by an expert outside the Korea Foundation. The views expressed here may not reflect the KF’s official position.
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