Baek Jong-won and Jung Yong-jin Promise Support to Sell 450 Tons of Sweet Potatoes... Positive Influence Helping Farmers

On the 23rd, SBS entertainment show 'Delicious Rendezvous' featured cooking researcher and entrepreneur Baek Jong-won and Shinsegae Vice Chairman Jung Yong-jin promising to support the sale of 450 tons of sweet potatoes for farmers. Photo by SBS

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] Chef and entrepreneur Baek Jong-won received a promise from Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin to support the sale of 450 tons of sweet potatoes.

On the 23rd, the SBS variety show 'Delicious Rendezvous' featured Baek Jong-won, comedian Yang Se-hyung, singers Kim Hee-chul, Kim Dong-jun, Hong Jin-young, and April's Na-eun visiting a king sweet potato farm in Haenam.

That day, the sweet potato farmers confided in Baek Jong-won that the king sweet potatoes lacked marketability. One farmer said, "If you put the king sweet potatoes in an air fryer, they don't cook properly. So, people look for medium-sized ones a lot," adding, "They also don't prefer cutting them before baking. They don't even want to sell them in supermarkets," expressing their difficulties.

He continued, "There was a lot of rain last year, so it was a bountiful harvest. That's why the sizes have gotten bigger." The farmer revealed that there were 450 tons of king sweet potatoes, surprising everyone. In fact, the sweet potatoes were stacked from the floor to the ceiling of the warehouse. Seeing the 450-ton scale of sweet potatoes, Baek Jong-won and Kim Dong-jun were left speechless.

Baek Jong-won said, "The juice that guarantees sweetness has flowed out. No matter how you look at it, it has marketability." The farmer responded, "Consumers don't want them," to which Baek Jong-won replied, "That's because consumers don't know how to cook them."

Baek Jong-won then called Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin again. Baek said, "Last time it was 30 tons of potatoes, but this time the quantity is much larger," adding, "The sweet potatoes have great marketability, but they say they don't sell because they're too big. But if they're big, can't you just cut them in half and eat them?"

Chung Yong-jin responded, "I'll look into it. It's probably not impossible. If it's 450 tons, it should be done within a week," saying this readily and surprising those around him.

Baek Jong-won added, "If we introduce recipes using sweet potatoes and sell them in supermarkets, it can lead to consumption. It will also help other farms," adding, "We raised them well to be healthy babies, so hiding them like this doesn't make sense. Sweet potatoes are also great for dieting."

Baek Jong-won then encouraged the sweet potato farmers, saying, "Don't lose your initial passion and keep working hard like this," creating a warm atmosphere.

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