Europe prefers Udon, China chooses Pasta... CJ CheilJedang Targets Customized 'Noodle Market'

Global Ambient Noodle Market Worth 126 Trillion KRW
"Active as Key Players Considering Each Market Situation"

CJ CheilJedang is expanding its noodle business to capture the tastes of global consumers. Through customized strategies that consider each market environment and consumer preferences, the company plans to broaden its noodle lineup and actively establish itself as a key player in the global ambient noodle market, which is worth approximately 126 trillion KRW.

On the 2nd, CJ CheilJedang announced that it will introduce its cup udon product, ‘bibigo Korean Style Udon Noodles,’ to the European market. With the rising popularity of Asian food in Europe, the company aims to target the market by offering udon with a distinctly Korean flavor.

Bibigo Udon Noodles are available in representative K-food flavors such as Bulgogi (K-BBQ) and Tteokbokki Chilli, and can be conveniently prepared in just 2 minutes using a microwave. CJ CheilJedang plans to expand its distribution channels starting with the UK, Sweden, and Spain, and then extending to France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

In addition to cup udon, CJ CheilJedang offers a variety of noodle products worldwide. By considering consumer preferences and cultures in each market, the company aims to first captivate local consumers with different products such as stir-fried noodles, pasta, and Asian noodles, and then use this as a foothold to expand its territory to neighboring countries.

Recently, in Thailand, where there is a high preference for noodles and Korean culture is rapidly penetrating, CJ CheilJedang introduced ‘bibigo Stir-fried Noodles’ in pouch form. The bibigo Stir-fried Noodles come in five varieties: Spicy Tteokbokki, Cheese Tteokbokki, Kimchi, K-Chicken, and Smoky K-Chicken, and are sold at Thailand’s 7-Eleven stores and local large supermarkets such as Lotus’s.

In China, where Western food culture, especially Italian cuisine, is popular, CJ CheilJedang launched the ‘Le Cook’ brand last December to offer pasta. In a market dominated by refrigerated pasta, the company introduced premium ambient pasta with differentiated taste and quality, capturing the palate of Chinese consumers. The brand has recorded cumulative sales of approximately 9 billion KRW and has gained popularity. Le Cook also won the Innovation Award in the Convenience Food HMR category at the ‘Food & Beverage Innovation Forum WOW Foods Awards (FBIF WOW FOODS AWARDS),’ one of the most prestigious awards in the Chinese food industry.

In the United States, CJ CheilJedang offers Asian noodle products such as Pad Thai and Chow Mein under the ‘Annie Chun’s’ brand. These are the most popular dishes in various Asian countries, attracting American consumers who want to try unique noodle dishes.

Hong Jung-wook, the person in charge at CJ CheilJedang, said, “We plan to actively nurture the noodle business through steady product line expansion in each country,” adding, “We will secure a customer base worldwide with CJ CheilJedang’s know-how and differentiated technological capabilities.”

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