CU Launches ‘Budae Bokkeum Ready Meal’ Series Featuring Baek Jong-won's Secret Recipes

CU announced on the 27th that it will launch a Budae Bokkeum (Army Stew Stir-fry) ready meal series that allows customers to experience a unique combination of flavors using the secret recipes of culinary researcher Baek Jong-won this month.

In response to the high customer interest in Budae Bokkeum, CU and CEO Baek Jong-won created a convenient ready meal version that can be easily enjoyed at convenience stores. While Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) is mainly soup-based, Budae Bokkeum is stir-fried with various ingredients such as ham and sausage mixed with a thick sauce, making it perfect as a side dish for rice. Notably, CEO Baek Jong-won personally participated in the development of the Budae Bokkeum sauce to achieve a deep and rich flavor.

First, the Budae Bokkeum Jeongsik Dosirak (4,900 KRW) is served generously with various cheese toppings on the Budae Bokkeum along with side dishes to make a hearty meal. The Budae Bokkeum is stir-fried with three types of ham (smoked sausage, sliced ham, Spam) and assorted vegetables such as cabbage, then topped with four kinds of quattro cheese (Monterey Jack, Yellow Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla, Asadero cheese) to enhance the flavor with a rich topping combination.

In particular, the dish pays homage to the origin of Budae Jjigae, which was made by combining American-style ingredients like ham, cheese, and baked beans near U.S. military bases. Instead of the typically spicy and salty Korean seasoning, this Budae Bokkeum is completed as a fusion dish with a sweet and tangy tomato ketchup flavor.

The Budae Bokkeum Gimbap (2,700 KRW) includes Budae Bokkeum toppings along with garlic scapes and cheddar cheese sauce for a richer taste. A Budae Bokkeum Triangle Gimbap (1,200 KRW) is also being released.

Since 2015, CU has partnered with CEO Baek Jong-won to introduce a series of ready meals that satisfy diverse customer tastes. This series has surpassed a cumulative sales volume of 380 million units amid strong customer response. Thanks to the popularity of Baek Jong-won’s ready meal series, CU’s dosirak sales increased by 22.0% in 2021 and 24.6% in 2022 compared to the previous year, and this year (January to August) sales have grown even faster at 32.1%.

No Su-min, MD of the Ready Meal Team at BGF Retail, said, “We have developed this ready meal to allow customers to enjoy a highly popular menu more easily and conveniently. Going forward, CU will continue to provide happy choices to customers through the development of various menus.”

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