Crispy Kanpunggi Made Easy with Air Fryer... Shinsegae Food Launches 'Olban Kanpunggi' Ready Meal

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] Shinsegae Food announced on the 17th that it has launched the ‘Olban Kkanpunggi’ home meal replacement (HMR) product, allowing consumers to easily enjoy the premium Chinese dish Kkanpunggi using an air fryer.

Shinsegae Food recently focused on the trend of home cooks?people who prefer cooking at home?who avoid going out due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These consumers favor convenient meal kits that allow them to enjoy dishes like Menbosha and Guobaorou, which were previously only available at high-end Chinese restaurants, in the comfort of their homes. In fact, sales of ‘Olban Guobaorou,’ launched by Shinsegae Food in August last year, increased by 88% in March-April compared to January-February. Additionally, ‘Olban Menbosha’ has seen monthly sales growth of over 10%, as it became known that consumers can enjoy high-quality Chinese cuisine with air fryer cooking at a price under 10,000 won.

Shinsegae Food analyzed that this popularity is due to the fact that traditional Chinese dishes, which typically require a lot of fire and oil, are difficult to replicate at home with their unique flavors and tastes, and the cooking process is cumbersome. In contrast, the HMR products offer easy preparation and allow consumers to enjoy premium dishes at reasonable prices, earning positive reviews.

Accordingly, Shinsegae Food created the ‘Olban Kkanpunggi’ HMR product so that family customers can enjoy the representative Chinese dish Kkanpunggi at an affordable price and with simple cooking methods.

‘Olban Kkanpunggi’ is made by selecting only 100% chicken thigh meat, which is tender and chewy, coated with a batter mixed in a golden ratio, fried, then baked in an oven and rapidly frozen. Especially, the secondary baking process in the oven removes excess oil while preserving the meat juices, allowing the dish to be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside when cooked in an air fryer. Additionally, a spicy and sweet Sichuan-style Kkanpung sauce is included, which, when stir-fried together, enhances the rich flavor, enabling consumers to enjoy Kkanpunggi at home at the level of a premium Chinese restaurant.

The cooking method involves setting the air fryer to 180 degrees Celsius and cooking for about 10 to 12 minutes. The included sauce should be stir-fried with the Kkanpunggi in a frying pan to complete the dish. ‘Olban Kkanpunggi’ is sold nationwide at Emart Traders, priced at 11,480 won (based on 1kg).

A Shinsegae Food official said, “We have launched a large-quantity Kkanpunggi HMR product at a reasonable price for consumers who feel burdened by dining out due to COVID-19, so the whole family can enjoy it together. We plan to continuously release products that allow consumers to taste restaurant-level dishes through simple cooking methods.”

Meanwhile, Shinsegae Food introduced the air fryer-exclusive HMR brand ‘Olban Air Cook’ in July last year and is actively targeting the frozen food market, which is growing alongside the spread of air fryer usage.

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