[친절한 경제] Korean dumplings captivated the world, the secret to popularity?

It’s a friendly economy time. Today (4th) will be with reporter Kim Hye-min. Reporter Kim, today is good news. Last year, you said that among Korean foods, there was a food that was exported a lot abroad. What is it?

Yes, frozen dumplings in Korea, a food that is easily and often eaten at home. Last year, it recorded the highest export value ever.

It sold $58.89 million, but it’s hard to feel at this amount alone. It is about one-third of the exports of kimchi, Korea’s representative food.

It has only been a few years since dumplings have become so popular abroad. Compared to that period, exports are growing rapidly every year, with an annual average of over 23%.

In particular, exports increased by 46% last year compared to the previous year. The reason why Korean dumplings are sold well abroad is also due to the spread of Corona 19.

Foreigners also ate a lot of convenience meals at home last year, and the secret to the popularity of frozen dumplings in Korea was that it was simple and delicious.

Simple and tasty, it seems to be an undeniable fact for many. So, in which country did it sell the most?

In fact, it seems to be the countries around Korea that are familiar with dumplings, but the most exported place is surprisingly the United States. Americans ate 23% of dumplings sold overseas from Korea last year.

In the United States, we now eat more Korean dumplings than Chinese dumplings. I entered the Wal-Mart online shopping mall in the United States.

A review of Korean dumplings was 98% satisfied, and on YouTube, you can easily find videos of Americans explaining how they tasted after trying Korean dumplings.

Following the US, it has also been sold in Japan and the Philippines. In some countries, exports have increased by 130%, which is Hong Kong.

There is dim sum similar to dumplings in Hong Kong, but it is unexpected that frozen dumplings in Korea are popular.

That’s right. Really, it sold a lot in Hong Kong. Then, why are frozen dumplings in Korea so popular?

Korean-style dumplings contain less carbohydrates because the blood that wraps them is thin. It is also easy to cook a variety of dumplings by putting them in other foods. The variety of contents is also such as shrimp, kimchi, and bulgogi, so it is very popular with overseas consumers.

Even now, Korean dumplings are the best selling in the United States, but when the Korea International Trade Association analyzed the’Comparative Market Advantage Index’, the market with the highest export potential was also the United States.

So, major Korean export companies are building more factories in the US. It is said that it is actively targeting the market by collaborating with local distribution companies and releasing products that will captivate the tastes of Americans.

In particular, some products use the Korean name’dumpling’ rather than the Chinese-style dumpling name’Dumpling’ in the product name, giving the impression that it is a unique Korean food that is differentiated from China.

The more I listen to, the more I feel, the more I listen to it because it seems that these things are selling well abroad and spreading a lot. By the way, reporter Kim said that besides dumplings, there are other foods such as “Do you sell a lot of these foods abroad?”

Last year, there was something called processed chicken meat in Korea, so Samgyetang and chicken breast were also popular overseas.

In particular, chicken breast became famous because it is a food that Korean actors eat to manage their weight. The main export countries are the United States, Hong Kong, and Japan.

In addition, Korean sauces such as Tteokbokki sauce and chicken sauce also sold the most in history, surpassing $300 million in exports last year. This is also the most popular in the United States, followed by China and Russia.

Mixing only Korean sauce with that country’s food will give you a familiar yet new taste, so it seems that you don’t feel reluctant and many foreigners visit it.

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