[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] The Korean people's 'rice power' is a thing of the past; the era of 'meat power' has arrived. According to a recent announcement by the Hanwoo Policy Research Institute, last year, the per capita meat (beef, pork, chicken) consumption in Korea reached 54.3kg, approaching 94% of rice consumption (57.7kg). It is expected that next year will be the first time in history that meat consumption surpasses rice consumption.
Additionally, according to the 'July Online Shopping Trends' released last month by Statistics Korea, the transaction amount for agricultural, livestock, and fishery products?which can gauge household meat consumption?was about 624 billion KRW, an increase of approximately 30% compared to the same month last year. As consumers increasingly enjoy meat at home due to the home-cooked meal trend driven by COVID-19, the dining and food industries are enthusiastically launching new menu items that uniquely highlight the original taste of meat for 'meat maniacs.'
Mom's Touch, a native burger and chicken brand, recently launched the 'Texas Barbecue Chicken Burger,' which allows customers to enjoy the deep flavor unique to barbecue in a burger.
The Texas Barbecue Chicken Burger is a new menu item that harmonizes crispy fried chicken patties with American Texas-style barbecue sauce, which has captivated global gourmets. It features the heavy flavor characteristic of barbecue, Mom's Touch's trademark generous portions, and overwhelming volume.
In particular, the crispy chicken thigh patty and savory bacon provide two rich meat textures that blend well with the deep taste of smoky barbecue sauce. The flavor balance is achieved with savory cheddar cheese sauce and mild dill pickle sauce. Additionally, fresh and crunchy tastes are added by including lettuce, tomato, and onion.
CJ Foodville's Vips restaurant's ready meal (RMR) product, 'Vips Original Barbecue Pork Ribs,' is proving its popularity by selling out day after day.
Vips Original Barbecue Pork Ribs is a menu featuring juicy pork ribs combined with Vips' special sauce infused with pepper aroma. It is attractive because customers can conveniently enjoy barbecue pork ribs at home, which previously could only be eaten by visiting Vips. It is a fully cooked product, so it only needs to be heated in a microwave or air fryer.
LF Food's Japanese ramen and donburi specialty restaurant Hakoya recently launched a fusion pork cutlet called 'Donmahawk Katsu,' using the most popular Donmahawk among meat maniacs.
Donmahawk is a name inspired by the beef cut Tomahawk and allows tasting four pork cuts?pork belly, loin, shoulder butt, and rib meat?at once, gaining favor among meat enthusiasts. Hakoya's 'Donmahawk Katsu' is a product that is deep-fried whole, which is usually difficult to prepare at home, then rapidly frozen. By cooking the frozen product in an air fryer at 190 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes, you can easily complete the Donmahawk dish. The included special tonkatsu sauce and fresh wasabi enhance the umami of the meat.
Fresh Easy's meat brand 'Smith Butcher' introduced three new products in the 'Special Cut Steak Set' series, consisting of bone-in steaks such as Elbone, T-bone, and Donmahawk.
Bone-in steaks are cuts with bones attached, offering rich juices and good texture. Carefully selected raw meat is trimmed to a thickness that is easy to cook at home, and special seasoning is included. The 'Elbone Steak Set' features an L-shaped bone cut that captures the flavor of sirloin; the 'T-bone Steak Set' is shaped with the cow's spine bone in a T shape, allowing enjoyment of both tenderloin and sirloin simultaneously; and the 'Korean Pork Donmahawk Steak Set' is made by selecting pork loin centered on 100% domestic Korean pork bones, offering both chewiness and juiciness.
An industry insider said, "As demand for home-cooked meals has increased due to COVID-19, more consumers are seeking restaurant-quality meat flavors at home. Differentiated menu strategies that fully maximize the original taste of meat are gaining attention from consumers."
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