Cheese and Butter Blended into Ingredients... Smiling Brightly at the Popularity of Wine

Distribution of Various Premium Cheeses... Market Expansion
Snack-Type Cheese Popular as a Snack
Steak Dishes Using Butter Trending

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] The recent increase in domestic dairy product consumption is largely due to COVID-19. As outdoor activities were restricted during the pandemic, people increasingly ate and enjoyed food at home, leading to a rise in demand for cheese and butter as accompaniments for home drinking and ingredients for home baking. Additionally, as everyone became more health-conscious, the demand for fermented milk products, which offer convenient health benefits, naturally increased.

Cheese is leading this trend. In the past, domestic cheese consumption mostly consisted of mozzarella used in pizza and sliced cheese mainly eaten as snacks. However, over the past few years, cheese has been applied in various Korean dishes such as tteokbokki and jjimdak, as well as pasta and salads, becoming an indispensable ingredient in our diet.

Especially with the spread of COVID-19, the culture of home drinking and solo drinking has become widespread, and the domestic wine market has grown explosively. Consequently, the cheese market, which pairs well with wine, is also growing rapidly. As the threshold for wine, once considered a luxury beverage, has lowered, the demand for premium natural cheeses, previously enjoyed mainly in upscale restaurants and wine bars, is shifting to households. The dairy industry is expanding the market by distributing various premium cheeses such as burrata, fresh mozzarella, and ricotta, in addition to the traditional sliced processed cheese.

As the cheese market grows, snack-type cheese products enjoyed as snacks are also gaining popularity. Individually packaged in convenient sizes, these products appeal for their ease of consumption and storage, making them popular not only for outdoor activities like camping but also for everyday use. With increasing demand, companies like Dongwon F&B have launched products such as ‘Denmark In-Pocket Cheese Snack,’ and Seoul Milk offers ‘Ojingeo Cheese.’ As cheese preference rises, the foodservice industry is also competing to release cheese-rich menu items, such as Papa John’s Ham Mushroom Six Cheese Pizza and Domino’s Pok?mon Monster Ball Pizza.

Dongwon F&B, 'Denmark In-Pocket Cheese Snack'

The increase in butter sales has also been decisively influenced by COVID-19. Interest in indoor hobbies has grown, and with easy access to cooking tutorials on YouTube, butter-based dishes like steak have become trendy, leading to a surge in butter purchases. Moreover, as more people consume bread as a meal substitute and more consumers engage in home baking, butter, which was previously supplied mainly to bakeries and cafes, is now expanding into general households.

The fermented milk market is growing by actively responding to the increasing demand for health functional foods. Among functional ingredients, probiotics, which have the steepest growth, can now be produced in liquid form, driving market growth. Fermented milk health functional foods certified for various health benefits such as stomach and liver health, eye health, and immune enhancement are being launched. Representative products include hy’s ‘Coopers,’ Namyang Dairy’s ‘Postbiotics Inner Care,’ and Pulmuone Danone’s ‘The Eye Solution.’

Greek yogurt is also leading the trend changes in the fermented milk market. Compared to regular yogurt, Greek yogurt contains more protein but less sodium and sugar, making it a healthy choice. These advantages have attracted MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) consumers, who are focusing on it as a meal substitute, shifting the yogurt market’s center from drinkable yogurt to spoonable yogurt. Additionally, the dairy industry is implementing segmentation strategies tailored to various demands, including lactose intolerance-friendly products, vegan products, and baby-specific products, indicating that the related market will continue to grow.

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