[Post-Corona, Ready Meals Rise] Ottogi, 51 Years of Food Industry Dedication, Continues Legacy as Ready Meal Pioneer

1981: 'Ottogi 3-Minute Cooking' First Introduced in Korea
Continuing the Popularity of Convenience Foods with Cupbap, Pizza, Burrito, and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Ottogi, a comprehensive food company established in 1969, opened the domestic home meal replacement (HMR) market in 1981 with '3-minute cooking.'

Starting with the '3-minute curry' in 1981, Ottogi successively launched '3-minute jjajang,' '3-minute hamburger,' and '3-minute meatball.' In the 2000s, aligning with modern consumers' preferences, they introduced premium '3-minute Baekse curry,' which harmonizes health-oriented ingredients with the existing curry, and 'Geudaero curry' and 'Geudaero jjajang,' which can be poured directly over rice without boiling water or using a microwave, capturing consumers' attention and taste buds.

Domestic convenience foods have grown explosively with the advent of instant rice. Ottogi entered the instant rice market in 2004, introducing not only pure rice but also about 20 different set meals paired with sauces for the first time. 'Ottogi Rice' has continued steady growth with excellent taste and quality and a diverse product lineup reflecting consumer preferences, now firmly holding the second place in the market with over 30% market share.

In September 2016, Ottogi launched six cup rice products emphasizing convenience, such as kimchi tuna rice bowl and spicy pork rice bowl. In December, they released Jin Jjambbong rice, Budae Jjigae rice, and in 2017, nine products including beef seaweed soup rice, dried pollack hangover soup rice, ox bone soup rice, and mushroom beef curry rice. By adding seven more products in 2018 and 2019, they now sell a total of 25 products. 'Ottogi Cup Rice' is characterized by enhanced unique flavors for each menu and large chunks of ingredients. Using concentrated liquid sauce with Ottogi's seasoning know-how proven in 3-minute cooking, the soup flavor is richer and cleaner.

Additionally, Ottogi has introduced various frozen bakery products such as frozen pizza, burrito, croque-monsieur, and hot dogs to the market. Last year, the 'Seoul-style beef health soup' and 'Busan-style pork soup gomtang' were launched as premium products that faithfully capture the taste of regional specialty restaurants, offering a convenient yet hearty meal, gaining great popularity. They also added various health food products such as 'Old-fashioned Samgyetang,' made by simmering tender domestic chicken with glutinous rice, fresh ginseng, garlic, and ginkgo nuts; 'Old-fashioned Chicken Gomtang,' with shredded domestic chicken in a broth thickened with glutinous rice flour; and 'Old-fashioned Perilla Potato Soup,' featuring a mild broth with plenty of tender chicken.

In May last year, Ottogi introduced three types of seafood convenience foods called 'Microwaveable Grilled Fish.' Following the positive consumer response since launch, several companies including CJ CheilJedang have successively released seafood convenience foods. In April, Ottogi additionally launched 'Microwaveable Grilled Salmon,' made with the highest-grade fresh salmon from Norway, known for its soft and moist taste.

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