300 Seok of Gongyangmi Rice, Enough for a Family of Four to Eat for 169 Years... "Everything About Rice, Hetbahn Museum"

CJ CheilJedang 'Hetbahn Museum' Reappraised as Source of Information Equivalent to 300 Sacks of Gongyangmi
Continued Communication Through Various Untact Programs Including Cooking Classes Enhancing On-site Experience

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Recently, on Twitter, information converting the value of ‘300 seok of rice offerings’ mentioned in the Korean classic novel Simcheongjeon into today’s value, along with its source, has attracted great attention. One seok equals 144kg, so 300 seok of rice offerings amounts to 43,200kg. Considering that the average daily rice consumption of a family of four today is 700g, this is the amount of rice that one family could eat for 169 years. The source of this intriguing information is the ‘Hetbahn Museum,’ operated by Hetbahn, a leading instant rice brand.

According to CJ CheilJedang on the 30th, the Hetbahn Museum is an experiential space located inside the CJ Blossom Campus exhibition hall in Jincheon, Chungbuk. It contains interesting and informative content about rice and cooked rice, including the production process of Hetbahn, the history and types of rice, changes in cooking methods, and the food culture brought by Hetbahn. Visitors can acquire extensive knowledge and expertise about CJ CheilJedang’s numerous efforts through the Hetbahn Museum’s professional curators.

Currently, due to social distancing issues, the Hetbahn Museum is communicating with consumers through contactless methods instead of on-site visits. Since July, a new concept tour program called ‘Online Tour’ has been conducted via YouTube Live. It features interactive communication through chat, creating a sense of presence. The program mainly operates for group applications from schools, institutions, and communities, establishing a leading image of ‘live group tours.’ The reservation page is planned to reopen in November, with one session held on weekdays.

The ‘Visiting Hetbahn Museum’ is an activity where curators visit daycare centers directly to conduct a ‘One-day Nutrition Class.’ Currently, it is operated non-face-to-face through the video conferencing program Zoom. Since the activity targets children, it is designed around play activities to increase fun and familiarity, such as exploring grains using the Rice Grain Family characters, decorating one’s own Hetbahn, and making Hetbahn flowerpots.

The ‘Rice Grain Family Kids Cooking Class,’ which receives high praise from children and parents, is a cooking class that uses Rice Grain Family characters like Brownie (brown rice), Kami (black rice), and King Kong (black bean) to educate about the nutrition of mixed grains and create character-themed lunchboxes inspired by mixed grains. The ‘Rice Grain Family Kids Cooking Class,’ which was previously operated offline in small groups, is also planned to be converted into an online cooking class.

Song Jae-mo, Assistant Manager of CJ CheilJedang’s Brand Experience team, said, “The Hetbahn Museum will continue to communicate with consumers through more diverse programs and methods, carrying on the story of Hetbahn,” and added, “Please look forward to the Hetbahn Museum’s journey toward a healthy food culture in Korea.”