Popularity of Easy Home-Cook Products Targeting 'Honsoljok' Choosing Staying Home Over Returning Home

Air Fryer Cooking Rises, Special Paper Foil for Lunar New Year Demand
High Usage Grill Pots and Food Storage Containers See Increased Interest

Komex Oven Glass. Photo by Komex

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the number of 'Honsoljok'?people who chose to stay home instead of returning to their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday?has increased, making convenient home-cook products popular among them.

As non-face-to-face Lunar New Year celebrations spread, the scale of Honsoljok this year has significantly increased compared to the 'Honchujok' during last Chuseok. According to a survey conducted by the job portal Incruit on 999 adults nationwide regarding their Lunar New Year plans, three out of four adults have no plans to return to their hometowns during the holiday, and they answered that they gave up visiting their hometowns in accordance with quarantine guidelines.

According to the survey, only 27.5% of respondents planned to visit their hometowns this Lunar New Year, which is just one in four adults who participated in the survey. Among the remaining respondents, 72.5% had no plans to return home, and 15.5% of them answered that they originally planned to go but gave up due to quarantine guidelines.

In response, related industries are targeting Honsoljok with kitchenware products that make it easy to prepare holiday food at home.

Following last Chuseok, simple holiday food recipes using air fryers have gained attention this Lunar New Year as well, leading to a surge in demand for dedicated products. For example, Cleanwrap launched a large-capacity (90 sheets) 'Air Fryer Dedicated Parchment Paper' ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, riding on the popularity of air fryer parchment paper. Cleanwrap's parchment paper is made from 100% French raw materials and coated with a special silicone coating that is harmless to the human body, making it resistant to moisture and tearing.

Designed with a height of 4.5cm, it prevents oil from leaking out, allowing easy cooking of oily holiday foods such as jeon (Korean pancakes), fried dishes, and fish dishes, and reduces the hassle of cleaning the air fryer as food does not stick. Cleanwrap explained that it comes in two sizes: medium (16cm) for air fryers around 3.5L and large (23cm) for air fryers over 5L.

Lock&Lock Salon Square Grill Pot. Photo by Lock&Lock

Kitchenware for Easy Cooking and Airtight Containers for Convenient Storage Gain Attention

Multi-grill pots that can be used as both pans and pots are also popular. Lock&Lock's new product, the 'Salon Square Grill Pot,' is a premium cookware line made using an integral casting method. It combines a grill pan and a hot pot in one product, allowing versatile use in the kitchen. It can be used on various heat sources, including gas stoves, halogen, and induction. According to a Lock&Lock representative, the bottom has a striped protruding structure that creates appetizing grill marks when cooking grilled dishes, making it highly popular.

According to Lock&Lock, the pot's side height is 6.5cm, which reduces concerns about oil or contents splashing. The square-shaped pot has a diameter of 24cm, allowing a family of 3 to 4 people to enjoy hot pot dishes comfortably. The bottom thickness is up to 6mm, providing stability during cooking as well as high heat retention and conduction.

Demand for airtight containers for storing holiday food is also increasing. In response, Comex has introduced its heat-resistant glass airtight container 'Oven Glass' at Lotte Mart nationwide and launched a discount promotion for the Lunar New Year. Oven Glass has high thermal shock resistance, capable of withstanding high temperatures and sudden temperature changes, making it suitable for use in microwaves, ovens, dishwashers, refrigerators, and freezers. The curved glass body is designed to allow efficient circulation of cold air even when stacked in the refrigerator, enabling long-term fresh storage of easily perishable holiday dishes such as seasoned vegetables and jeon.

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