'"The Braised Short Ribs Are So Delicious"... Korean Team Delighted With Boxed Meals as We Power the National Squad With Rice'

Three centers in line with the split venues, plus self-heating lunch boxes
Special holiday meals to be served during the Lunar New Year period

A special project responsible for feeding the South Korean delegation at the 2026 Milano Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics is drawing attention.

Yonhap News Agency

On the 9th, several online communities featured posts and photos titled "Boxed meal menus provided to the South Korean delegation at the Milan Olympics." The photos showed appetizing lunch boxes filled with fluffy white rice and a variety of Korean side dishes such as stir-fried spicy pork, bulgogi, stir-fried sausages, stir-fried anchovies, and kkakdugi (diced radish kimchi), along with descriptions like "Meals with a personal touch in every menu," "The exact same taste as in Korea," and "Various requests available, such as more rice, less rice, or more side dishes."

Boxed meal to be delivered to the South Korean delegation competing at the 2026 Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yonhap News Agency

Online users reacted with comments such as "Truly a nation of rice," "Koreans need rice to gain strength," "It is really generous. The portion of rice is large," "Those preparing the food seem like another group of national team members," and "Athletes, stay strong," expressing support and encouragement. In reality, as seen in the photos, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee is doing its utmost to help athletes maintain their performance. For this Olympics, the committee has allocated a total budget of 2.2 billion won to provide two meals a day and has set up "meal support centers" at three separate locations for the first time in history to serve warm Korean boxed meals.

Above all, there have been many opinions that the European-style meals in the local Olympic Village, such as pizza, pasta, and bread, are insufficient for athletes to maintain their stamina. As meat side dishes tend to be tough and the proportion of protein is relatively low, some overseas athletes have even been seen relying on McDonald's for their meals. To address this, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has assigned 36 chefs and nutritionists to stay close to the Taegeuk Warriors and support them with the strength that comes from rice.

Meal support centers funded with 2.2 billion won... From meat side dishes to self-heating meal boxes, filled with care

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has begun providing meal support for the athletes competing in the 2026 Milano Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Yonhap News

In the Lodi area in the southern part of downtown Milan, Italy, there is now a place known as the "second athletes' village kitchen" for South Korean athletes. Every morning at 8 a.m., chefs prepare familiar side dishes such as stir-fried spicy pork, bulgogi, stir-fried anchovies, doenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew), and kkakdugi. The amount of meat used alone reaches a staggering 700 kilograms, and the cost of ingredients exceeds 200 million won. The boxed meals are delivered twice a day, at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and 4:30 p.m. for dinner. More than 130 members of the delegation receive meals across three locations: Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Livigno.

For athletes who train outdoors frequently, such as those in ice sports, self-heating meal containers have been introduced for the first time. With a heating pack installed at the bottom of the meal box, hot rice and soup can be revived, steaming, simply by adding water after training. Figure skater Cha Junhwan, well known as a fan of Korean food, smiled and said, "I am really enjoying the Korean boxed meals." Short track speed skater Choi Minjeong also said, "The braised short ribs were so delicious that it gave me strength. It is a great help in maintaining my weight."

From the 2008 Beijing Games to the 2026 Milan Games, consistently operating independent meal centers

This is not the first time the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has provided Korean meal support. From the 2008 Beijing Olympics through the 2012 London, 2016 Rio, 2018 Pyeongchang, 2021 Tokyo, and 2022 Beijing Games, the South Korean delegation has consistently operated its own meal centers. However, the 2026 Milan Games mark the first case in which the centers have been dispersed across three locations. In line with high-altitude competitions and harsh winter conditions, self-heating meal boxes have been newly introduced, and the level of meal support is being evaluated as having evolved to a higher stage.

On the 9th (local time), at the meal support center in Milan, Italy, preparations are in full swing for self-heating meal boxes to be delivered to the South Korean team for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Yonhap News

Among other things, this edition of the Games overlaps with the Lunar New Year holidays. For the athletes working hard in a foreign country, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee is also preparing a "Lunar New Year special meal," including dishes such as beef bone soup, bulgogi, skewered meat patties (sanjeok), and assorted Korean-style pancakes (jeon). Head chef Kim Junghyun said, "We cheer for them through our cooking. We approach this with the mindset that we, who prepare the food, are also another kind of national team," adding, "We hope the athletes gain strength and achieve good results."