Beyond kimchi and bibimbap… What is the No. 1 Korean food choice by foreigners?

‘Korean-style chicken’ was chosen as the most popular Korean food among overseas locals. Photo = bbq provided
-The most popular Korean food among overseas locals was’Korean-style chicken’.

According to the results of the 2020 Overseas Korean Consumer Survey released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 7th, Korean chicken (13.3%) was the most preferred Korean food by foreigners last year. Kimchi (11.9%) took second place, and bibimbap (10.3%) took third place. The survey was conducted from August to September last year by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food inquiries online to 8,000 locals in 16 major cities around the world, including Beijing, Tokyo, Rome, and London.

On the other hand, Korean food that locals did not prefer was’Korean alcohol (14.1%)’. Kimchi was ranked in the second place as the preferred food, but also ranked third with a 9.5% response on the non-preferred menu.

The reasons for citing kimchi and alcohol as non-preferred foods were “because I hate the texture” (30.0%) and “because I can’t know what ingredients are in it (23.3%).” A survey of people who have ever eaten Korean food Kimchi (33.6%) was the most frequently eaten Korean dish. Bibimbap (27.8%) followed by Korean chicken (26.9%), followed by bulgogi (12.8%) in North and Central America, bibimbap (12.6%) in Europe, grilled pork belly (11.6%) in Northeast Asia, and kimchi (14.9%) in Southeast Asia. %), Oceania, South America, and Middle East liked Japchae (7.0%) the most. Korean food recognition was 57.4%, up 2.8 percentage points from the previous year. The satisfaction level was 81.3%.

In China and Indonesia, the perception and satisfaction of Korean food was the highest. Japan (Tokyo) and Italy (Rome) ranked at the bottom in recognition and satisfaction. Awareness and satisfaction were mostly proportional, but in the United Kingdom (London) and Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Korean food awareness was low, so satisfaction was high.

Kim Jong-gu, Food Industry Policy Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, said, “We will use the Korean Wave to promote a young and refined image in regions such as Japan, where Korean food has a low level of awareness and satisfaction.” “Establishing national strategies to improve the satisfaction of Korean food and Korean restaurants in the future. I will actively support it in the year.

Kim Jin-ha, reporter of Donga.com [email protected]