CJ CheilJedang Leads US Frozen Rice Market with 'K-Bokkeumbap'... Expected Annual Sales of 130 Billion KRW

Adding Korean Food Culture Elements Like Kimchi and Garlic to Popular Fried Rice Flavor

CJ CheilJedang is leading the K-fried rice trend in the United States with its frozen rice products.

On the 30th, CJ CheilJedang announced that the cumulative sales of its frozen rice products produced and sold in the U.S. have surpassed 100 billion KRW this year. Sales are expected to exceed 130 billion KRW by the end of the year. Since acquiring Schwan's in 2019 and securing a cold chain distribution system across the U.S., sales have tripled in four years.

Representative products include ‘Korean BBQ Flavor Chicken,’ ‘Kimchi Vegetable,’ and ‘Garlic Shrimp’ fried rice. These products are manufactured at Schwan's Vermont plant and sold through major retail channels such as Walmart, Kroger, and Target.

CJ CheilJedang cites the popularity of frozen rice products in the U.S. market to its adaptation of Korean food culture to suit local consumer tastes. They added Korean BBQ sauce, kimchi, and garlic to the most popular fried rice flavors in the U.S., such as chicken, vegetables, and shrimp. The increasing consumption of rice-processed foods in the U.S. is also a positive factor. According to last year's rice-processed food export data surveyed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, exports to the U.S. increased by 28.2% compared to the previous year, accounting for the largest share among countries.

Along with this, sales of frozen rice products made in Korea and exported by CJ CheilJedang have also increased significantly. CJ CheilJedang’s frozen rice export value has grown at an average annual rate of 22% over the past three years (2021?2023), and the number of export countries has expanded from seven in 2017 to 17, including Taiwan and Vietnam. Going forward, CJ CheilJedang plans to accelerate the entry of frozen rice products into mainstream distribution channels in key countries. Starting this month, Australia will sell ‘Kimchi Cheese Rice Balls’ at Costco.

A CJ CheilJedang official stated, “Considering the growing popularity of K-food in the U.S., we are making efforts to spread Korean food culture, such as creating a separate ‘Asian Food Zone’ within stores. We will focus on nurturing the P-Rice category, including frozen rice, as the next-generation Global Strategic Product (GSP) following the success of dumplings in the U.S.”

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