Banana Meets Sikhye... Paldo Launches 'Birak Banana Sikhye'

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] The number one rice punch beverage brand, ‘Birak Sikhye,’ becomes even smoother with the addition of banana.

Paldo announced on the 20th that it will newly launch ‘Birak Banana Sikhye.’ The strategy is to target the 10-20 age group with this newly reinterpreted banana sikhye product that appeals to a youthful sensibility.

Banana Sikhye is the first fruit-flavored product in the Birak Sikhye brand, which was launched in 1993. It features a smooth taste by adding banana juice to the sweet and savory flavor unique to sikhye. Paldo, after various attempts to find a fruit that pairs well with sikhye, determined that the acidity and flavor of banana are the most suitable and commercialized it.

It is also notable that the product does not contain rice grains, which are a key element of sikhye. This reflects consumer preference results showing that banana flavor and rice grains do not pair well.

The package design has also been changed. The color symbolizing Birak Sikhye was changed from ‘yellow’ to ‘sky blue’ to emphasize a refreshing image. Additionally, the ‘Ppyorotong’ character, which became a hot topic on social networking services (SNS), was applied. Ppyorotong is an original character imagined as the popular character ‘Pororo’ entering puberty. The friendly Pororo is depicted without glasses and helmet, with a sulky expression, hence the name.

The product will be sold through the online food mall ‘Coupang Market’ until the 11th of next month, and offline sales channels will be expanded in the future.

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