CJ CheilJedang Launches Seasonal Limited Delicacy 'Bibigo Cucumber Kimchi'

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] CJ CheilJedang announced on the 10th that it is launching a seasonal limited delicacy kimchi new product, 'Bibigo Oi Kimchi,' to target the summer market.

Bibigo Oi Kimchi is a season-limited product available only in May and June when cucumbers are at their best. The soft seed part of the cucumber is removed, and it is salted with 100% domestically produced sun-dried salt, making it crunchy without becoming soggy. It is flavored with fresh spring chives and sweet and sour domestic maesil syrup, enhancing the cool taste and refreshing aroma of seasonal cucumbers. It pairs well with various dishes such as bibim guksu and mul naengmyeon, making it an excellent delicacy side dish to stimulate the appetite in summer.

The packaged kimchi market, valued at around 280 billion won, is broadly divided into categories of whole cabbage kimchi, sliced cabbage kimchi, and other delicacy kimchis made from ingredients other than cabbage. With the increase in household penetration rate of packaged kimchi (the proportion of households purchasing the product at least once a year) and the segmentation of consumer preferences, demand for delicacy kimchis made with various ingredients and flavors such as young radish and green onions other than cabbage has significantly increased recently.

In this regard, CJ CheilJedang has focused on expanding its kimchi portfolio since launching Bibigo Kimchi in 2016 by releasing products such as chonggak kimchi, kkakdugi, and baek kimchi. Since then, it has led market changes by introducing various delicacy kimchis every year, including yeolmu kimchi, pa kimchi, kkaennip kimchi, gat kimchi, and bossam kimchi. These products recorded sales growth of over 50% compared to the previous year last year, establishing themselves as key items driving the expansion of CJ CheilJedang's kimchi sales.

A CJ CheilJedang official said, “As the consumer base for packaged kimchi continues to expand due to convenience, economy, and rationality, the high-growth trend in the delicacy kimchi category with various ingredients and flavors is expected to accelerate further,” adding, “We will continue to launch new delicacy kimchi products with high seasonal preference, such as Bibigo Oi Kimchi, to capture consumers’ tastes and focus on driving growth in the other delicacy kimchi category.”

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