High Inflation Smiles on Home-Cooked 'Cheat Key'... 3 Trillion Sauce Market Showdown

Domestic Sauce Shipment Value Surpasses 3 Trillion Won
Table Sauces Like Ketchup Followed by Popularity of Cooking Sauces
Ottogi, CJ CheilJedang, Sempio Announce Market Entry

As the cost of dining out continues to soar, the number of people cooking at home has increased, pushing the domestic sauce market size beyond 3 trillion won. In the past, sauces were limited to table sauces like ketchup and mayonnaise, but now they are expanding to cooking sauces that make meals like rice noodles and Mala Xiangguo more exquisite, growing the market significantly.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 21st, the domestic sauce shipment value increased from 1.9805 trillion won in 2016 to 2.3187 trillion won in 2020, and surpassed 3.0352 trillion won in 2022. It is estimated to have grown by more than 5% last year as well.

A large supermarket fresh food section in downtown Seoul [Image source=Yonhap News]

The expansion of the sauce market is largely influenced by the rapidly rising dining-out prices. According to Statistics Korea, dining-out prices have exceeded the consumer price inflation rate for 35 consecutive months from June 2021 to last April. As a result, single-person households, the MZ generation, young couples, and men who find dining-out expenses burdensome have rapidly emerged as new consumers in the sauce market. In particular, not only table sauces like ketchup and mayonnaise that accompany main dishes but also cooking sauces for dishes such as Mapo Tofu and Mala Xiangguo have grown rapidly.

Food companies are fiercely competing with their own strategies to capture the sauce market. Lotte Wellfood recently renewed and launched its cooking sauce home meal replacement (HMR) brand 'Yorikick,' dividing it into 10-minute and 1-minute cooking options considering consumers’ lifestyles.

The 1-minute Yorikick for single-person households includes two Japanese-style curries: ▲Garlic Keema Curry and ▲Butter Chicken Curry. They can be cooked in the microwave in just one minute. The 10-minute Yorikick series features three Chinese dishes: ▲Mala Xiangguo, ▲Chili Pepper Japchae, and ▲Mapo Tofu. With the appropriate vegetables, meat, and Yorikick sauce for each menu, you can prepare, cook, and plate a splendid Chinese dish in just 10 minutes.

Yorikick focuses on the 'wok hei' flavor that is difficult to replicate at home. A Lotte Wellfood official said, “With the newly revamped Yorikick, you can easily create special dishes containing the chef’s secret at home,” adding, “We plan to further diversify Yorikick menus reflecting consumers’ lifestyles.”

Saempo, famous for its 'Fontana' pasta sauce, launched the Chinese sauce brand 'Chaochai' in March. This product realizes diverse Chinese gourmet flavors loved worldwide in cities like New York, Hong Kong, Paris, and Seoul through cooking sauces. It allows you to cook dishes that were difficult to make at home, such as Dongpo Pork, Chili Pepper Japchae, and Mala Xiangguo, faster than waiting in line at a restaurant or ordering delivery, using everyday ingredients in just 5 to 8 minutes.

Ottogi, which first introduced ketchup and mayonnaise to Korea, released two types of Mala sauces: 'Sancho & Chili' and 'Onion & Sancho.' These can be uniquely enjoyed not only with Mala Tang and fried dishes but also with various menus like cream pasta and Tteokbokki. Additionally, targeting campers, Ottogi launched Jeju-style Meljeot sauce for pork belly and Wasabi Gochujang sauce, as well as a dipping sauce for fried dishes called Twigimjeon Jjipmeok sauce. An Ottogi official said, “In this era of high prices, more consumers are enjoying home-cooked meals with a variety of sauces on their tables,” and added, “As a national sauce company, we will continue to introduce sauces with optimal flavors that meet consumer demands.”

CJ CheilJedang’s 'Baeksul Rice Bowl Sauce,' launched last November with themes from Thailand, India, China, and other global cuisines, has surpassed 2 million units in cumulative sales.

An official from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation analyzed, “Recently, due to high prices, dining out has shifted to eating at home, and with the production of diverse food-related content on YouTube and social media, consumer interest in new sauces has grown, leading to market expansion.”