"Steak Also Values Visuals" 3cm Thick 'Bonin Steak' Gains Popularity

Increased Demand for Flavorful and Fun Foods... Growing Consumers Seeking Unique Steaks
Popularity of 'Bone-in Steak' Known as 'Visual Steak' and 'Cartoon Meat' Rises
Lotte Mart's Bone-in Steak Accounts for 21.0% of Steak Sales in December Last Year

A Lotte Mart customer is selecting their own steak in the store.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] Recently, the demand for food that offers not only delicious taste but also visual enjoyment is increasing. With more people eating at home instead of restaurants due to COVID-19, and a consumer trend pursuing personal satisfaction regardless of cost, the consumption of unique steaks is also on the rise.

Typically, steaks are made mainly from tenderloin and sirloin cuts, but recently, 'Bone-in steaks' featuring long bones resembling stone axes with meat attached have become popular. Bone-in steaks have frequently appeared on TV programs due to their eye-catching visuals, and SNS posts featuring them can often be found.

Bone-in steaks have meat attached to the bone, giving them a cartoon-like appearance, earning them the nickname "cartoon meat." Unlike regular steaks without bones that are cut with a knife, bone-in steaks can be eaten not only with a knife but also by holding them with hands and tearing the meat directly, adding to the "fun of eating."

Lotte Mart announced on the 7th, "The typical steak thickness is about 2cm, but recently, demand for thick steaks with 3cm and 5cm thickness has increased, leading to a rise in the average thickness of popular steaks sold at Lotte Mart." In 2018, the thickness of the representative steak sold at Lotte Mart, the 'U.S. Chuck Eye Roll Steak,' was 2cm, but in 2020, the most popular 'Tomahawk Steak' was 3cm thick, about 1cm thicker. In December 2020, when dining out was difficult and demand for home parties was high, bone-in steaks accounted for 21.0% of total steak sales for the month. This was a significant increase compared to the single-digit percentage of the previous year.

Reflecting this trend, Lotte Mart is holding a 'Bone-in Steak Festival' at all stores until the 10th, offering various steaks at discounted prices.

As representative products, the 'Pepper Don Tomahawk Steak (100g),' which allows customers to enjoy sirloin and rib meat at once, is offered to L.Point members at about 20% off for 2,390 won. The 'T-bone Steak (560g)' and 'Tomahawk Steak (390g)' are also sold to L.Point members at 20% discounts, priced at 32,000 won and 36,000 won respectively.

Yoon Byungsoo, Head of Fresh Food Division 2 at Lotte Mart, said, "Recently, as more customers want to enjoy various foods at home, the demand for bone-in steaks, which are both tasty and visually appealing, is increasing. We hope customers will enjoy a variety of bone-in steaks at affordable prices at Lotte Mart."