Frozen gimbap sold at Trader Joe's makes triumphant debut in home market

A Korean frozen gimbap product, which created a huge buzz in the US organic market, is now making its domestic debut. According to E-mart 24, E-mart's convenience store chain, on Friday, it has stocked Baba Gimbap’s frozen gimbap product for a two-week special sale. Created by Korean food firm Allgot, the supplier behind the Trader Joe’s hit rice rolls, the gimbap is rapid frozen at minus 50 degree Celsius so that it retains the shape and texture of a freshly wrapped roll duri

Dec. 1, 2023

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s rice output falls

South Korea’s rice output fell 1.6 percent this year due mainly to a decrease in cultivation area, data showed. Rice production came to 3.70 million metric tons in 2023, compared with 3.76 million tons a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. This year’s decline came as the combined size of rice paddies slid 2.6 percent on-year to a record low of 708,012 hectares. The government has been implementing measures to balance supply and demand of rice, such as gi

Nov. 30, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Westin Josun Seoul presents ‘Warner Bros-themed’ package Westin Josun Seoul is offering the “J & Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary Celebration” package until Feb. 29. The package covers one night’s stay and two complimentary tickets for the “Warner Bros. 100th: Celebrating Every Story” exhibition at the DDP in central Seoul. The exhibition features special goods featuring the film production company’s symbolic movie works such as the Harry Potter

Nov. 24, 2023

Ready meals gain attention at 2023 Coex Food Week

Convenience food ruled at 2023 Coex Food Week, an expo that focuses on the food industry as well as culture and trends in South Korea. While dedicated to promoting business-to-business opportunities, the food expo is also open to the public. This year, it kicked off Wednesday and runs through Saturday at Coex in southern Seoul. On Wednesday, visitors flocked to booths offering free samples. Perennial favorites included tteokbokki, dakbal, or fried chicken feet, dumplings and pizza. Convenience w

Nov. 23, 2023

[Contribution] Korean food captivates global palates

By Chung Hwang-keun Minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs The world has fallen deeply for Korean food. Ram-don, an instant noodle dish featured in the movie Parasite, was sensationally popular in 2019, and more recently, a brand of frozen kimbap has been selling out within just one month of release at a major grocery store in the United States. The craze for Korean food does not end there. A Korean restaurant in New York was ranked first among all the restaurants in the US listed

Nov. 19, 2023

Navigate flavors of the Mediterranean in Seoul

In the vibrant streets of Seoul where culinary diversity flourishes, authentic Mediterranean establishments remain a rarity. Located in the residential neighborhood of Ichon-dong, just a ten-minute walk from the National Museum of Korea, Kantina is an inviting restaurant specializing in Mediterranean cuisine. Marked by its distinctive blue sign and interior, the establishment reflects the city's gradually increasing fondness for Mediterranean flavors, since its opening in 2021. Kantina has

Nov. 18, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Four Seasons Hotel to showcase special cocktails Four Seasons Hotel’s bar OUL will offer special cocktails from Nov. 22 to Jan 6. The bar will present ‘Bang 98’ featuring French 75, Korean spirits, Yakult, a sweetened probiotic milk beverage, and yuzu punch. “1872 Dalgona” and “Berry Danish” will also be available. “1872 Dalgona” is an eggnog infused with Korean rum, oak-aged soju and rice wine. “Berry Danish” is a milk punch cock

Nov. 17, 2023

Snow crabs join bargain for crustaceans

Joining the rush for half-priced king crabs, the price of imported snow crabs has also plunged as US and European bans on Russian seafood imports, together with declining consumption in China, have led to increased supply here. According to local seafood sales platform The Pirates on Thursday, the average price of Russian snow crabs has dropped to 57,200 won per kilogram, down 23.7 percent from a high of 75,000 won on Sep. 29. The online exclusive sale price has more than halved compared to two

Nov. 16, 2023

Top chefs gather to create innovative dishes with Korean ingredients

South Korea’s top chefs gathered to develop Korean fine dining menus using Korean ingredients as part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institution’s efforts to spread the word on Korea's high-quality ingredients, which can be used to prepare a variety of dishes. At "Shape, Share, Start: For Korea Ingredients," an event held at Mingles in Gangnam, Seoul on Nov. 3, a group of chefs, professors, culinary connoisseurs and

Nov. 11, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul to showcase Christmas cakes Four Seasons Hotel Seoul's lounge cafe Confections will release two special cakes to welcome the Christmas season: White Christmas Cake and Red Christmas Cake. The White Christmas Cake is an almond sponge cake decorated with homemade vanilla mousse and biscuits. The Red Christmas Cake features chocolate mousse, ginger-flavored cream on brown sponge cake. The White Christmas Cake will be available from Nov. 17 at 178,000 won, while the Red

Nov. 10, 2023

Gimjang tours make kimchi-making easy

Often requiring many hands and hours of labor, gimjang, in which large batches of kimchi are made for the coming winter, appears to be on its way out. Increasingly, people make kimchi throughout the year in smaller amounts or buy it at stores. Yet, kimchi remains a staple on Korean dining tables and people want more healthy choices when it comes to something that they consume daily. Dongwon F&B's Yangban Kimchi has been conducting its Gimjang Tour since 1999. These tours take place at t

Nov. 4, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Le Meridien showcases autumn dining promotion Le Meridien’s restaurant La Palette Paris showcases a special dining promotion for the fall season. The promotion features popover bread with truffle butter, scallops with truffles and mashed potatoes. Prices are 87,500 won for the weekday lunch and 101,500 won for the weekday or Sunday dinner. The promotion is 130,500 won for weekend lunch and Saturday dinner. Visit the restaurant before Nov. 11 for a discount of up to 30 percent. Josun Ho

Nov. 3, 2023

[Coffee Klatch] Unique mugwort tea latte paired with flower cakes, dango

Tea-themed, traditional drink cafes are enjoying a boom in Korea, but it is hard to find one that has become a huge hit. That is probably due to the fact that tea-based lattes made using Korean traditional ingredients like mugwort and black sesame are not an easy sell to Koreans whose coffee consumption is one of the highest in the world. Not only that, pairing of those drinks with Western desserts is difficult.. Sonsudam, a small Asian dessert cafe with unique latte varieties located in Yeongde

Oct. 28, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

Le Meridien Seoul Myeongdong offers cosmetics package Le Meridien Seoul Myeongdong is offering “Premium Beauty Travel with d’Alba” package in cooperation with the vegan cosmetics brand. The package includes one night’s stay and a set of d'Alba cosmetic products including double cream, double serum, sunblock, oil cream cleanser and treatment facial masks. A dinner for two and free access to the hotel’s indoor pool are also included. Package prices start at 445,0

Oct. 27, 2023

Korea's yakgwa booming on back of ‘newtro’ trend, media coverage

One chilly autumn afternoon in October, students of Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul poured out onto the streets for lunch. A group found their way into a small bakery by the name of Monday Picnic down an alley, where they treated themselves to yakgwa financier cakes. “I have never really been a fan of yakgwa, but I became curious after it started trending. From yakgwa cookies and financier to ice cream, there are several forms, and they're all pretty good,” said Jo

Oct. 25, 2023

Chinese restaurant ‘threatened’ by peers for free delivery

An owner of a Chinese restaurant in Incheon claimed to have been threatened by nearby restaurant owners, who took issue with its free delivery policy. According to the owner, who made his claims on his restaurant's page at a mobile delivery application, he has been receiving calls from a group calling itself “Jungsik Yeonhap," which translates as Chinese Restaurants Association. The owner said the group demanded that he abolish the free delivery policy and raise his prices, or

Oct. 24, 2023

Savor the irresistible taste of tteokbokki

When it comes to Korean street food, few dishes are as beloved and iconic as tteokbokki. This spicy treat is a must-try for anyone seeking an authentic Korean culinary experience. Tteokbokki is a popular Korean snack of chewy cylindrical rice cakes slathered in a spicy sauce made primarily with red pepper paste. Fish cakes and other vegetables are often added. The dish is spicy, sweet, chewy and addictive. Tteoksan, a tteokbokki eatery, located in Seoul's Bukchon neighborhood, just a few

Oct. 21, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

The Plaza Seoul welcomes autumn with new menus The Plaza Seoul's restaurants are offering new menus for the fall season. The Plaza Dowon, a Chinese restaurant at the hotel, has prepared a course meal, composed of fried abalone, beef tenderloin steak and dao xiao mien, or Chinese knife-cut noodles. The highlight of the menu is the dim sum filled with shrimp, mushrooms and water chestnut. The hotel’s Korean restaurant Seven Square is offering grilled shad and grilled deodeok, or bellflo

Oct. 20, 2023

[Coffee Klatch] Take a sip of Turkish coffee in Seoul

For those of you who are tired of Americanos and sweetened lattes, Turkish coffee might just be what you needed. If you’re a coffee purist, why not try Turkish coffee, known as one of the strongest coffee with high level of caffeine? Turkey, a country with over 1,000 years of coffee history, makes coffee in the most traditional way. Also known as sand coffee here, you need sand that’s heated in a pan over a stove before preparing to make a coffee. Finely ground coffee and water are b

Oct. 14, 2023

[Around the hotels] Promotions and packages

L'Escape Hotel presents ‘Bittersweet Night’ L’Escape Hotel has launched the “Bittersweet Night” package to celebrate the fall season. The package offers one night’s stay along with a set of petit-fours and two glasses of whiskey at the hotel’s rooftop bar Marque d'Amour. The French confectioneries come in various flavors, including fig, cinnamon and pecan. The package is available through Nov. 30 with prices starting at 230,000 won. Le Meridi

Oct. 13, 2023