In the Severe Cold Wave... Soup Dishes Selling Well

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Since the severe cold wave began in earnest last December, the demand for various hot soup dishes, from fish cake udon to meal kits, has increased.

According to School Food on the 22nd, the sales of 95.7% Fish Cake Udon, a warm soup dish, increased by 52.3% compared to the same period last year in December, when the coldest weather in history arrived. In the fourth week of December, when the lowest temperature dropped to -14 degrees Celsius, sales rose by 10.4% compared to the previous week, proving the correlation between cold weather and warm soup dishes.

The 95.7% Fish Cake Udon is characterized by using premium fish cakes made with 95.7% fish meat, harmonizing chewy noodles and rich broth, making it very popular every winter. Riding on the popularity of warm soup menus during cold weather, School Food newly launched Eomultteok Odengmulteok on the 19th. The new menu is filled with chewy rice cakes and two types of fish cakes in a deep broth, suitable for all ages.

A School Food official said, “Due to this unusually cold winter weather, both dine-in and delivery stores have seen an increase in consumers seeking winter menus. We will continue to actively understand consumer needs and focus on launching menus that fit seasonal characteristics.”

Amid the severe cold wave, the number of people enjoying soup dishes easily at home with meal kits also increased. On the 5th, Lotte Mart announced that from December 17 last year, when the lowest temperature dropped below -10 degrees Celsius, until the 3rd of this year, sales of meal kit products such as Bulgogi Jeongol, Crab Soup, and Kimchi Stew, which are easy to prepare, increased by 43.2% compared to the same period last year.

The ‘Home Drinking (Home+Sul)’ group, which increased due to COVID-19, also focused on warm soup dishes in cold weather. According to eBay Korea, sales of Jjamppong ramen on the online shopping malls Auction and Gmarket increased by 47% and 18%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

In particular, Nongshim’s ‘Sacheon Baek Jjamppong’ is a dried noodle product featuring seafood broth made with winter seafood such as oysters, clams, and sea squirts, with a spicy kick from Cheongyang chili peppers. Since its launch in November last year, it has set a record by surpassing 5 million units sold within four weeks, strengthening its position in the jjamppong ramen market.

A food and dining industry official said, “Targeting consumers looking for warm soup dishes in cold weather, related industries are releasing various new winter products and enjoying increased sales of existing menus. We hope everyone stays warm with various soup dishes as the new year begins.”

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