Ggultteok Cereal Gains Global Fame
Tteokbokki Drives Record-High Rice Cake Exports
Thanks to the increased demand for tteokbokki, South Korea's exports of rice cakes have reached an all-time high. Tteok is a representative gluten-free food.
On the 29th, Yonhap News cited the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), reporting that last year's rice cake export value was $91.4 million (about 131.3 billion KRW), approaching $100 million. The export value of rice cakes has tripled over five years since recording $34.3 million in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The main export destination is the United States, accounting for $34 million (37%) of the export value. Next are the Netherlands ($8 million), Vietnam ($6.7 million), Japan ($4.3 million), and Canada ($3.3 million).
The primary factor behind the increase in rice cake exports is the growing demand for tteokbokki. As tteokbokki gains popularity worldwide, the English dictionary published by Oxford University Press in the UK included "tteokbokki" as a new word alongside "jjigae" (stew) and "noraebang" (karaoke) in December last year. Previously, aT's 2021 Processed Food Market Segmentation Report mentioned that BTS member Jimin enjoying tteokbokki in 2019 became a hot topic among overseas fans.
The fact that tteok is a gluten-free product also contributes to its growing attention. Gluten is an insoluble protein found in grains that can cause digestive disorders or allergies in some people, but rice contains no gluten.
In the United States, rice cakes are sold at major retail stores such as Costco and Walmart, and the popularity of tteokbokki products on e-commerce platforms like Amazon has been credited with driving export growth.
Recently, the 'ggultteok cereal,' which has achieved a 'tteoksang' (rapid rise in popularity) on the global stage, has also become famous. Ggultteok cereal is a new 'K-dessert' that originated from the idea of a foreign TikToker.
Named 'ggultteok cereal' because it involves dipping ggultteok (honey rice cakes) in milk, this unique recipe adds a modern twist to traditional Korean rice cakes. Due to its distinctive chewy texture, tteok was not a welcomed food among foreigners, who often found it sticky and felt it clung to their teeth.
However, now even foreigners who once found tteok unfamiliar are drawn to its charm, with 'ggultteok cereal mukbang' becoming a trend. The perfect harmony of ggultteok and milk has earned it the nickname 'K-bubble tea' among overseas netizens.
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