On the 4th, Vietnamese visitors flocked to a K-food tasting event jointly run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Embassy in Vietnam, in front of the Korea Pavilion at the Hanoi International Food Expo, held at the Hanoi International Exhibition Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. They lined up to try chicken nuggets and kimchi pancakes. Photo: Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) 【Hanoi, Vietnam = Special Correspondent Kim Jun-seok】“Em ơi, một miếng nữa (Hey, one more piece, please)!”In front of the Korea Pavilion at the Hanoi International Food Expo, held on the 4th at the Hanoi International Exhibition Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, crowds packed the K-food tasting area jointly run by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Embassy in Vietnam, eager to try the chicken nuggets and kimchi pancakes on offer. More people than expected showed up, and staff on one side of the venue were kept busy preparing food samples without pause.
Mai, a homemaker in her 40s, tried a chicken nugget, gave a thumbs-up and said, “Ngon quá (It’s really delicious).” After hearing that local exports of heat-processed chicken products by Korean companies, including Harim Co., Ltd., were getting underway in earnest, she said, “Unlike Vietnamese chicken, which tends to be chewy, Korean chicken is crispy on the outside and tender inside, making it perfect as a snack for children or a late-night bite,” adding, “I think I’ll buy it often from now on.”
The booth of Shengda Foods, based in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China, which took part in the Hanoi International Food Expo held on the 4th at the Hanoi International Exhibition Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Special Correspondent Kim Jun-seok In contrast, booths run by Chinese food companies were quiet compared with the bustling Korea Pavilion. Tao, an office worker in his 30s, whom we met at the booth of a spice and sauce specialist jointly owned by Chinese and Vietnamese companies, said, “The taste seems fine, but I’ve recently seen a lot of news about safety and hygiene issues with Chinese food, so I can’t bring myself to try it,” before walking away.
At the dried seafood booth we visited next, visitors kept asking pointed questions such as, “Where was the fish caught?” and “Where is the factory?” When asked why the questions kept coming, one local visitor replied, “Because it’s food my family will eat.”
Harim’s processed chicken products on display in front of the Chicken Export Council booth in the Korea Pavilion at the Hanoi International Food Expo, held on the 4th at the Hanoi International Exhibition Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Special Correspondent Kim Jun-seok K-Chicken, Makgeolli and Sweet Persimmons: ‘Next K-Food’ Heads to VietnamThe Korea Pavilion featured 11 companies and one integrated organization, with a total of 14 booths, including an information desk run by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT). To expand exports, major local buyers were also invited, including WinCommerce, a leading Vietnamese retailer operating WinMart under the country’s largest food company, Masan Group, and Thuy Anh Fruits, a specialist fresh-fruit distribution channel. Their participation helped bolster efforts to secure distribution networks for K-food.
At this year’s Korea Pavilion, efforts to discover the ‘next K-food’ stood out, going beyond established favorites such as tteokbokki, ginseng products, ramen and sauces. Interest was particularly focused on chicken products after exports of processed chicken opened up following President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to Vietnam last April.
Lee Dae-beom, head of Harim’s Vietnam subsidiary, told this newspaper, “We are targeting sales of about 70 tonnes this year, and plan to increase the volume to 40–80 tonnes a month starting six months after entering the market.” The four products currently available in Vietnam are samgyetang, chicken nuggets, chicken karaage and Yonggari Chicken. Unlike the usual market-entry strategy of localizing products, Harim plans to emphasize the premium quality of products made in Korea. Lee added, “We will use the distribution infrastructure we have already built through exports of spent laying hens to accelerate our entry into major local retail networks. We will ramp up sales to local consumers in the first quarter of next year and increase sales volume by about 200% by the third quarter.”
Following soju, makgeolli is also knocking on the door of the Vietnamese market, joining the ranks of ‘next K-food.’ Kang Hyeon-cheol, branch manager of Indoco, a well-known Korean-owned company in Vietnam that specializes in distributing Korean food and consumer goods, said, “The makgeolli market is still small, but awareness is rising quickly thanks to the influence of K-culture,” adding, “We plan to import a range of fruit and grain makgeolli products to appeal to Vietnamese consumers, who prefer fruit-flavored alcoholic drinks.”
Following pears, strawberries and Shine Muscat grapes, sweet persimmons are also drawing attention as the next K-food product in the fruit sector. The event also featured Korea Sweet Persimmon Export Co., Ltd., a government-supported integrated export organization established under the leadership of Gyeongnam Nonghyup by sweet-persimmon-exporting agricultural cooperatives in Gyeongsangnam-do to consolidate their shipping channels. A representative of the organization said, “Despite the aggressive low-price competition from Chinese persimmons, Korean persimmons are strengthening their premium image by emphasizing their unrivaled sweetness and quality,” adding, “We will further expand our sales channels through major local retailers.”
Kimchi products, including napa cabbage kimchi and young radish kimchi, on display at the booth of Hai Kimchi, a Vietnamese food company, at the Hanoi International Food Expo held on the 4th at the Hanoi International Exhibition Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Special Correspondent Kim Jun-seok Kimchi and Grain Drinks… Vietnamese Food Companies Also Enter the ‘K-Food’ MarketVietnamese food companies also drew attention by showcasing K-food. Visitors kept sampling products at the booth of Hai Kimchi, a major kimchi manufacturer based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Alongside napa cabbage kimchi, the company presented young radish kimchi, cubed radish kimchi and green onion kimchi, attracting interest. A Hai Kimchi representative said, “We make kimchi with locally grown Vietnamese cabbage and radishes, using the same recipe as in Korea,” and added, “At first, we distributed it mainly through Korean-owned distributors and Korean restaurants. Now that kimchi is becoming more familiar and popular, we want to expand our sales channels to general consumers.” Hai Kimchi representatives repeatedly emphasized to visitors that their kimchi was made using a recipe “100% identical” to that of Korean kimchi. Lan, a woman in her 40s who came to the expo with her daughter, said, “Kimchi is spicy, but it also has the natural sweetness of vegetables such as cabbage and radishes, so it tastes healthy,” and put some of each variety on her plate.
A tasting of Jeong Food’s rice drink at the booth of FASO, a Vietnamese importer of Korean food, at the Hanoi International Food Expo held on the 4th at the Hanoi International Exhibition Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Special Correspondent Kim Jun-seok FASO, a mid-sized Vietnamese distributor that has imported and supplied high-quality Korean food, household goods and cosmetics to the Vietnamese market for 20 years, showcased ‘Sunshine Filled with Health,’ a rice drink by Jeong Food tailored to Vietnam. Ngoc, a university student who took part in the tasting, said, “I usually enjoy rice drinks as a breakfast substitute, and I like how convenient they are.” Asked about her preference for Korean food, she added, “I like tteokbokki so much that I make it myself at home every week,” and, “Among Korean food companies, I especially like Daesang Corporation’s products.”
Meanwhile, Vietnam is rapidly emerging as a key strategic market for K-food. K-food exports to Vietnam totaled $790 million last year (about 1.0775 trillion won), and have continued to grow at an annual average rate of 5.2%. Major exports include prepared chicken products, laver, beverages, ginseng products and ramen. Recently, as the Korean Wave has spread and awareness of K-food has risen, interest has diversified to include fresh fruit, snacks and convenience foods, and health foods.
In particular, as economic development and the growth of the middle class have spread consumer preferences that prioritize health and quality, the demand base for premium products continues to expand. The diversification of online and offline retail channels, including hypermarkets and convenience stores, has also improved consumer access, supporting the growth of K-food.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong meets with Trinh Viet Hung, Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture and Environment, in Hanoi on April 21. Provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural AffairsKim Hyun-woo, agricultural attaché at the Korean Embassy in Vietnam, said, “Quarantine negotiations were concluded in connection with the Korea-Vietnam summit last April, opening the way for exports of Korean processed chicken products. It is significant that this event is helping introduce K-Chicken in earnest to Vietnamese consumers.” He added, “The government, including the embassy, plans to strengthen cooperation with the local government so that more livestock products, including Hanwoo beef and heat-treated pork, can enter the Vietnamese market.”
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Dining and Cooking