[Exclusive] "Aspiring to K-Food Fame, 'Jjapaguri' Desired"... Ottogi Introduces 'Jinjinjjara'

Introducing a Mixed Version of Naeju Jinjja Jang and Jinjjamppong
Sold Mainly at Discount Stores... Differentiated with Jjamppong Instead of Neoguri

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Ottogi is launching 'Jinjinjjara,' a mixed version of Jin Jjajang and Jin Jjamppong ramen. Inspired by Nongshim's 'Jjapaguri (Jjapaghetti + Neoguri)' recipe gaining worldwide popularity thanks to the global sensation of the movie Parasite, Ottogi is introducing a new product targeting 'modishumers' (people who combine familiar foods to create their own unique dishes).

According to industry sources on the 19th, Ottogi will release a spicy Jjajang ramen called Jinjinjjara next week. It combines Ottogi's main ramen products, Jin Jjajang and Jin Jjamppong, with packaging similar to both products. It is known that the initial production volume is currently being manufactured ahead of next week's launch.

Jin Jjajang is a thick noodle Jjajang ramen launched by Ottogi in July 2015 to compete with Nongshim's 'Jjawang.' In April of the same year, Nongshim released Jjawang, boasting thick and chewy 3mm noodles, and within a month, it ranked second in overall ramen sales, pioneering the premium Jjajang market. Jin Jjajang features thick noodles that provide a chewy texture and a Jjajang sauce made by stir-frying onions over high heat. Unlike Jjawang, which uses powdered soup, it adopts a liquid soup containing pork and ginger.

Jin Jjamppong was released in October of the same year. It emphasizes the rich flavor of seafood by stir-frying various seafood such as squid, mussels, and sea squirt along with vegetables, then adding broth made from chicken and beef bone soup. Like Jin Jjajang, it uses thicker noodles and liquid sauce compared to regular ramen. The following year, Ottogi launched Stir-fried Jin Jjamppong, which uses wide 4mm 'Guktaemyeon' noodles and includes an oil-based soup that captures the smoky flavor of Jjamppong.

However, Jinjinjjara is produced as a planned product and is expected to be mainly stocked in discount stores. The differentiation point from Jjapaguri is that it uses Jjamppong ramen instead of 'Odongtongmyeon,' which is similar to Nongshim's Neoguri.

Meanwhile, Nongshim is reaping significant benefits from the Oscar-winning movie Parasite, which won four Academy Awards. Interest in Jjapaguri, a dish featured in the movie, has surged, leading to a sharp increase in domestic and international sales. According to Nongshim, combined sales of Jjapaghetti and Neoguri from February 11 to 15, following the Oscar ceremony on February 10, increased by about 55% compared to the previous week (February 4 to 8).

As the Jjapaguri recipe spreads worldwide and gains popularity, global sales have also increased accordingly. Overseas sales of Jjapaghetti in February reached $1.5 million, more than double the previous year, marking the highest monthly performance. Countries that did not previously sell Jjapaghetti have also expressed interest. Recently, countries such as Chile, Bahrain, Palau, and Sudan, which had no prior exports, requested imports of Jjapaghetti, increasing the number of export countries to about 70 this year. Nongshim stated, "With domestic sales of Jjapaghetti exceeding 37 billion KRW over two months, we aim to achieve annual sales of 200 billion KRW for the first time ever."

In Nongshim's case, the U.S. subsidiary launched a new product, Jjapaguri cup noodles, in the American market. A Nongshim official said, "We first introduced Jjapaguri in the U.S. market and plan to consider product launches in other overseas regions based on the response."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.