The Third 'Corona Chuseok'... Holiday Tables Change to Match High Inflation and Simplification Trends

Simplified Holiday Foods Amid High Inflation
Increase in Ready-to-Eat Meal Substitutes Reflecting Practical Trends
"Reducing Ingredient Costs and Effort, Eliminating Holiday Conflicts"
Growing Demand for Convenience Foods... Industry Diversifies Products

On the 29th, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, citizens are shopping at Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] "Substance is more important than form."

Kim Min-hee (31), a housewife living in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, decided to keep this Chuseok ancestral rites simple. She plans to prepare only 2-3 side dishes at home. Traditional holiday foods such as jeon, donggeurangttaeng, and sanjeok will all be replaced with home meal replacements (HMR). Due to soaring prices, buying ingredients and cooking directly felt more expensive.

Yoon Jun-ho (34), an office worker living in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, also decided to simplify holiday food preparation. Although relatives will gather at the family home in Busan, this year they agreed in advance to cook using convenience foods and order delivery for any lacking dishes. Yoon said, "Prices have risen a lot, and we didn't want to create uncomfortable situations due to food preparation, so the whole family made this decision together. Convenience foods are just as good as cooking with ingredients, and it's much better since we don't have to worry about preparing various things before Chuseok."

As the social atmosphere leans toward simpler holidays amid high inflation, holiday tables are changing. The image of daughters-in-law sweating over huge amounts of food for days and crowded kitchens is gradually disappearing. The trend of moving away from formality to simplify and make food practical is spreading, and easy-to-cook home meal replacements are gaining popularity during holidays.

According to Shinsegae Food on the 31st, analyzing sales of over 30 types of holiday home meal replacements such as jeokjeon (rice cake dishes), seasoned meat, and rice cakes from the 10th to the 25th of this month, a month before the Chuseok holiday, sales increased by 21% compared to the same period last year. The sharp rise in ingredient prices and the significant reduction in the burden of food preparation are analyzed as reasons for the popularity.

During the same period, Pulmuone's home meal replacement products also increased by 132%. Especially, demand surged for the Bandut Hansik product line launched last year. Ourhome also saw a 368% growth in home meal replacement sales compared to the same period last month.

The variety of holiday food products is also diversifying. Fully prepared ancestral rite tables that require no ingredient preparation or cooking at all are popular. Dongwon Dear Food significantly increased the quantity of its "The Banchan Premium Charyesang" from 200 to about 300 units each holiday season. The slightly smaller "The Banchan Simple Charyesang" is also popular. Daesang released two types of simple meal replacements through its brand Homings ahead of Chuseok: "Flounder Jeon with Egg Coating" and "Thick Beef Jeon." These are new products following the meat meatball introduced earlier this year.

Various related promotional events are pouring in. Meal kit brand Mychef is holding a Chuseok promotion until the 12th of next month, offering single dishes suitable for holiday tables such as "Mushroom-filled Beef Bulgogi Hot Pot" and "Royal Beef Short Rib Stew," as well as holiday convenience foods like the "Pinkfong Baby Shark DIY Songpyeon Making Set." Convenience food specialty food mall Cookat is also running a special promotion called "Cookat's Simple Chuseok Table," featuring 31 types of holiday convenience foods.

An industry insider said, "With the trend changes combined with the high inflation situation, the atmosphere of seeking home meal replacements is expected to accelerate even more."

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