KOREA FOUNDATION

The old saying that Koreans live on rice is no longer relevant. With increasingly Westernized diets and people looking to eat breakfast in a flash, Korean rice consumption is on the decline, while younger Koreans and single people are developing a more sophisticated palate for bread.
  Rising bread consumption has amounted to increased interest in neighborhood bakeries. Seeking to escape from the synthetic flavors of franchises that use chemical additives and frozen dough, consumers now flock to local businesses that produce smaller quantities of healthier bread, which may take longer to make but is worth the wait. Often called “neighborhood bakeries,” these places usually opt for simpler signs and are limited in space, with many of them lacking tables and chairs for in-house consumption. Yet they’re becoming so popular that they’re likely to run out of your favorite variety if you don’t go early enough.
  People now travel across the city just to taste a particular bakery’s creation, meaning the keys to success are none other than quality and taste. Big-name franchises use mass-produced dough that’s delivered to each branch in frozen batches. Some branches even get their bread in baked form, meaning they simply stack it on the shelves as it arrives. Many local bakeries, however, use natural fermentation agents instead of commercial yeast and stick to organic ingredients, creating bread that’s healthier and easier to digest, not to mention filled with original flavor and texture that’s unique to the baker. As such a process takes time and dedication, neighborhood bakeries usually produce smaller batches and offer less variety, and their prices are higher than those of franchises. However, in an era where Koreans no longer view bread as simply a dessert or snack but as an integral part of their daily nutrition, people will likely to continue searching for smaller bakeries that offer wholesome and nutritious quality.