[K-Soy Industry]⑤Noodles, Wraps, Shakes, Kim Bugak... The Market Expands When Tofu Breaks Its Mold

Lalasfarm Creates Products with Tofu Powder
Expanding Exports of Tofu Chips and Shakes
Domestic Soybean Usage Expected to Reach 200 Tons This Year

"Soybeans need to break free from traditional boundaries. In order to boost domestic soybean consumption, we must create various types of processed soybean foods, such as noodles and shakes, beyond the tofu we commonly eat," said Samrye Bae, CEO of Lalasfarm.

On February 6, at the Lalasfarm office in Iksan, CEO Samrye Bae emphasized the need to develop a diverse range of processed soybean foods. "In Europe and Japan, consumers enjoy a variety of processed soybean products, such as smoked tofu, rather than just traditional soft tofu," she said. "Lalasfarm was founded based on the question, 'Why isn't tofu, a traditional Korean dish, available in more diverse forms?' We have developed and are selling not only tofu noodles and tofu wraps but also noodles and rice paired with konjac, as well as shakes made from powdered tofu."

On the 6th of last month, we met CEO Samrye Bae at Lala's Farm located in Iksan. Photo by Sangdon Joo

Founded in October 2015, Lalasfarm began supplying tofu noodles to food service companies in 2019 through research and development. In 2021, they launched tofu-konjac noodles made by adding chickpeas to tofu powder, followed by tofu-konjac rice in the following year. They also introduced a tofu protein shake, which combines tofu powder with isolated whey protein that has been further refined. These products utilize powdered tofu, which is tofu that has been dehydrated and ground into a powder. "To make tofu powder, we produce tofu, squeeze out its moisture, dry it, and then pulverize it," Bae explained. "Tofu powder has a long shelf life of two years at room temperature, making it suitable for storage, and it can be processed into various forms, thereby increasing its added value," she said.

Lalasfarm recorded sales of 2.3 billion won last year. This was a decrease from 2.5 billion won in 2021, when sales grew based on their main product, tofu noodles. In September 2022, as the company was targeting 3 billion won in sales, a fire broke out at the factory. The fire caused 3 billion won in property damage, destroying production facilities and equipment. After a year of restoration, Lalasfarm resumed production in September 2023, and sales have been gradually increasing since then. This year, their goal is to reach 3.5 billion won in sales. Namjin Cho, General Manager at Lalasfarm, explained, "Due to the fire, we were unable to produce products for about a year, which led to the loss of clients. We are now recovering those business relationships and have started supplying tofu products to major corporations and for military meals. We expect that as sales of tofu noodles, konjac noodles and rice, and shakes increase, we will soon surpass our pre-fire sales levels."

Domestic soybeans used by Lalasfarm for product manufacturing are stored in a warehouse. Photo by Joo Sangdon

Lalasfarm uses 100% domestically grown soybeans. Last year, they used 107 tons, and this year, usage is expected to reach 200 tons. All of these soybeans are produced in the Iksan region, where Lalasfarm is located. CEO Bae said, "I established Lalasfarm, named after my daughters, with the intention of breaking the mold of 'soybeans are only for making traditional tofu' and developing healthy products in various forms through powderization. We insist on using domestic soybeans because they are non-GMO, which makes them safe, and by using locally grown agricultural products, we can support local farmers and promote coexistence."

Lalasfarm also exports to countries such as France, Germany, Canada, and Australia. General Manager Cho noted, "Although export volume was only 70 million won last year, it is steadily increasing. In addition to our existing tofu and soft tofu, overseas buyers are showing increasing interest in tofu noodles, tofu wraps, tofu chips with a long shelf life, tofu-konjac rice and noodles, and shakes. We expect exports to grow further."

General Manager Cho also suggested that, in order to increase domestic soybean consumption, the government should actively support the development of various processed soybean foods. "Currently, government support measures to promote soybean consumption are focused on expanding production of tofu products, which are already widely consumed. In order to encourage the use of domestic soybeans, which are more expensive than imported ones, we need to create high added value. Therefore, the government should provide concentrated support for research and development of new products, so that small food companies can develop a greater variety of processed soybean foods," he said.

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