The 2030 Generation Captivated by 'Halmae' Taste... Popularity of 'Halmaennial Food'
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim Yunjin (26), a first-year office worker, has recently become fascinated with 'Halmaennial' foods. At cafes, she orders mugwort lattes instead of Americanos, and yanggaeng instead of cake. Kim said, "One day, my parents bought yanggaeng, and it was more delicious than I expected, so I've been enjoying it since then," adding, "I prefer desserts that are less sweet but have a healthy taste rather than overly sweet cakes."
The so-called 'Halmaennial' trend is gaining popularity mainly among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). Halmaennial is a portmanteau of 'halmeoni' (grandmother) and 'millennial,' referring to a culture that consumes somewhat old-fashioned foods or styles. For example, foods like black sesame and injeolmi, known to suit middle-aged and older tastes, are becoming popular among younger generations.
Recently, social networking services (SNS) have seen a surge of posts related to 'Halmaennial.' Searching for 'halmae' on Instagram brings up various related keywords such as 'halmae taste,' 'halmae sentiment,' and 'halmae table.' In particular, searching 'halmae taste' yields over 46,000 posts. Netizens mainly post pictures of foods made with traditional ingredients like mugwort, injeolmi, and black sesame.
The popularity of the Halmaennial craze has continued over the past few years. According to data released by Shinsegae International’s lifestyle brand 'Jaju,' 9 out of the top 10 best-selling products at Jaju stores last year were traditional snacks. The best-selling product was 'Dalgona,' with over 700,000 units sold last year. The second-best, 'Barley Bread,' sold over 500,000 units, and the third, 'Nurungji Snack,' sold more than 300,000 units.
This Halmaennial craze appears to be related to the Newtro (New + Retro) phenomenon. It is analyzed that old foods evoke nostalgia for middle-aged and older people while providing freshness to the MZ generation, thus gaining popularity. The spread of the Halmaennial trend through social networking services (SNS) has also had an impact. One netizen said, "This summer, I shared misutgaru with my family, floating ice cubes in it," adding, "It was nice to hear stories about my parents' childhood while eating misutgaru."
Meanwhile, the fashion industry is also experiencing a Halmaennial trend. More young people are seeking cardigans embroidered with floral patterns or loose skirts that grandmothers and grandfathers might wear. In the fashion world, this is also called the 'Granny Look,' a style reminiscent of grandmother’s clothing.
Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies said, "On SNS, new things that have not been seen before tend to attract attention, and foods like injeolmi and black sesame are new ingredients that the MZ generation has not experienced before," adding, "It is also related to the increase in health-conscious MZ consumers after the COVID-19 pandemic."
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