Buldak-Flavored Ice Cream Debuts... CU Launches Snacks Targeting 'Swicy' Trend

Targeting the 'Swicy' Trend:
A Fusion of Spicy and Sweet
New Buldak-Flavored Ice Cream and Croquette Bread Released

CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, announced on August 13 that it will launch two unique buldak-flavored snacks in line with the globally trending 'Swicy' phenomenon.

'Swicy' is a portmanteau of spicy and sweet, and it is a culinary trend that has been rapidly spreading among Generation Z overseas through various social networking services. Unlike previous generations who were not accustomed to spicy flavors, Generation Z's desire for new and unique tastes has helped establish 'Swicy' as a new food culture trend.

CU, a convenience store operated by BGF Retail, announced on the 13th that it will launch two unique snacks with buldak flavor in line with the globally trending 'Swicy' trend. Photo by BGF Retail

Recently, as K-food items such as tteokbokki and yangnyeom chicken have gained popularity in various overseas content, both domestic and international companies have been actively introducing 'Swicy' products with bold and addictive flavors using gochujang seasoning and buldak sauce. In fact, at CU, sales of 'Swicy' foods flavored with gochujang, chipotle, and buldak sauce increased by 27.2% year-on-year during the three-month period from May to July.

First, targeting the summer demand for ice cream, CU is releasing 'I'm Not a Buldak Chicken,' a buldak chicken ice cream. This unique dessert features a visual twist by taking the shape of a chicken drumstick, a signature item of Korean-style chicken, and incorporates the concept of the globally popular buldak-flavored stir-fried noodles. The buldak corn crunch is coated once more with buldak-flavored chocolate and filled with milk ice cream.

This is a follow-up to the 'I'm Not a Chicken' ice cream released in May. CU plans to continue its popularity by introducing this new spicy combination, after the previous product's unique chicken drumstick shape and the crunchy ASMR videos became a big hit on social media.

In addition, CU is launching the Bakehouse 405 'Buldak Drumstick Bread.' This croquette features a bread shaped like a chicken drumstick, filled with corn cheese, egg, and macaroni tossed in spicy buldak sauce.

Cho Junhyeong, Head of Snack Foods at BGF Retail, stated, "As the influence of global food trends spreads even more rapidly through social media, we have prepared these unique products to satisfy our customers' curiosity," adding, "CU will continue to focus on product development across all areas to offer differentiated products that provide new experiences for consumers."

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