Even Made with Rice, It Sells Well... Bohae's 'Seolbing Injeolmi Soonhee' Hot Hot

The food and beverage industry is continuously launching products made from rice, such as Makgeolli and roll cakes.

Although rice consumption has been steadily declining, demand for rice-processed foods is increasing, especially among the MZ generation who prefer unique flavors.

Bohae Brewery’s products using traditional ingredients like ‘Injeolmi’ and ‘Heukimja’ are examples.

Bohae Brewery collaborated with Sulbing and Homeplus last year to launch ‘Sulbing Injeolmi Soonhee.’ It reportedly received a great response, ranking first in sales in the Homeplus Makgeolli category within just two weeks.

The second collaborative product, ‘Heukimja Soonhee,’ uses ‘Heukimja,’ an ingredient commonly used in cakes and waffles, catering to the MZ generation who prefer a nutty flavor.

Bohae Brewery’s Soonhee, made with domestic rice, is popular among young consumers who seek a clean taste with less of the typical heaviness of Makgeolli. The addition of Injeolmi and Heukimja enhances the flavor and aroma, offering a richer experience.

Both products use Bohae Brewery’s Pasteur fermentation method, which ferments at low temperatures for a long time, allowing for long-term storage of up to 12 months.

According to Bohae, consumers who recently tried ‘Injeolmi Soonhee’ and ‘Heukimja Soonhee’ broke the stereotype that Makgeolli must be paired with ‘jeon’ (Korean pancakes). They found that these Makgeolli varieties pair well with light foods such as salads, pasta, and waffles without compromising the original flavor of Makgeolli.

Also, as these products were created in collaboration with Sulbing, unique recipes pairing them with Sulbing’s Injeolmi toast and bingsu have attracted attention, especially among consumers with the ‘Halmaennial’ (grandmother + millennial) taste who prefer nutty flavors.

A Bohae Brewery official stated on the 17th, “Although rice consumption among our people is declining, the launch of food and beverage products using rice is active. In particular, products emphasizing nutty flavors are especially popular due to the spread of the ‘Halmaennial’ trend.”

He added, “Bohae plans to continue introducing products that offer unique tastes and enjoyment, like Injeolmi and Heukimja Soonhee, which blend traditional ingredients with ‘Soonhee’ Makgeolli made from domestic rice.”

Meanwhile, according to the ‘2022 Grain Consumption Survey Results’ released by Statistics Korea in January, the average annual rice consumption per person last year was 56.7 kg, about half of the 112.9 kg consumed 30 years ago in 1992.

On the other hand, rice consumption for semi-processed foods, including rice cakes, increased by 8.7% compared to the previous year, reaching 515,890 tons last year.

While overall rice consumption has significantly decreased, demand for rice-based foods has increased.

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