Rising Demand for Dashima Due to 'Jjapaguri' Popularity... Nongshim Begins Purchasing Fresh Wando Dashima

A Nongshim purchasing team member inspecting kelp at last year's kelp auction site.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Thanks to the globally popular movie Parasite's "Jjapaguri (Jjapaghetti + Neoguri)," attention is turning to Wando, Jeollanam-do, the homeland of kelp. The surge in Neoguri sales due to Jjapaguri's popularity has also increased the use of Wando kelp in Neoguri. Nongshim plans to participate in the kelp auction held in Geumildo, Wando-gun, for about two months starting from the 1st, quickly purchasing high-quality kelp.

The amount of kelp used by Nongshim for Neoguri production from January to April totaled 150 tons, an increase of about 30% compared to the previous year. Most of the kelp additionally secured at the end of last year was used. Nongshim purchases 400 tons of Wando kelp annually for Neoguri production, but this year, the Jjapaguri craze caused the kelp stockpile to be depleted quickly from the beginning of the year.

Accordingly, Nongshim hastened to secure kelp. On the 1st, it participated in the first kelp auction of the year held in Geumildo, Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, and began purchasing fresh kelp. Nongshim stated that it will continue the popularity of Neoguri and Jjapaguri by purchasing the highest quality kelp during the kelp harvesting season.

A Nongshim purchasing official said, "Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) this year, there may be effects on fishing operations, so we are closely monitoring kelp price fluctuations," adding, "Regardless of price, selecting and purchasing kelp of excellent quality to provide consistent taste and quality to customers who love Neoguri is our top priority." Since Jjapaguri has also been released as a product, Nongshim is considering purchasing more than 400 tons of kelp this year, taking into account kelp crop conditions and market prices.

Nongshim's love for Wando kelp has lasted 38 years this year. Since the launch of Neoguri in 1982 until now, the cumulative purchase volume exceeds 15,000 tons. The amount of kelp Nongshim purchases annually is the largest scale in the domestic food industry, accounting for about 15% of the region's annual dried kelp production. Thanks to this, Nongshim is known as a major buyer of Wando kelp.

Shin Sang-seok, CEO of the partner company supplying kelp to Nongshim, said, "This year, Wando kelp is receiving special attention due to the popularity of Jjapaguri," adding, "Since kelp is cited as one of the secrets to the popularity of Neoguri and Jjapaguri, we are making every effort to quickly secure the highest quality kelp."

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