A comfort staple to millions of South Koreans, including BTS member Jimin and Twice’s Jeongyeon, tteokbokki is a comforting dish simmered with gochujang to produce bold notes of sweet, savoury, and spicy. It can be dressed up with accompaniments like fishcake or boiled eggs, and it goes well with both meats and vegetables.
Tteokbokki is poised to hit mainstream status as more Americans become curious about the cuisine showcased in their favorite Korean dramas and K-pop music. As more Americans venture beyond sushi and dumplings, they are looking for a new taste adventure and tteokbokki is one of the best options.떡볶이 프랜차이즈
With a dedicated following in the US, Tteokbokki’s success can be attributed to its unique combination of flavours and textures. In addition, a growing interest in Korean culture has led to an increase in the popularity of Korean restaurants and street food stalls.프랜차이즈창업
As more people enter the market, Tteokbokki vendors are finding innovative ways to attract them. For example, the founders of Two Meals of Instant Tteokbokki are partnering with local grocery chains and schools to provide a tteokbokki kit for kids to enjoy at home. The kits include a recipe booklet and ingredients, making them easy for anyone to cook up tteokbokki at home.
Besides catering to the local market, Tteokbokki vendors have begun to export their products abroad. According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, tteokbokki exports jumped last year to 120 billion won in sales, or more than double the figure of 2021. This is due to the growing popularity of Korean foods abroad and a trend for mixing traditional dishes with foreign influences, such as adding rose sauce or cream cheese.
In addition to traditional spicy red pepper tteokbokki, Tteokbokki restaurants are now offering other variants such as cheesy tteokbokki and squid tteokbokki. Some restaurants, such as Oftt in the Seongsu neighborhood of Seoul, offer a more premium menu that includes alcohol.
Another reason for Tteokbokki’s global success is its versatility and ability to adapt. Tteokbokki cooks are always trying out new variations to suit the tastes of different generations and palates. They have also experimented with vegetarian tteokbokki in response to trends towards veganism.
Tteokbokki’s global expansion is also supported by the government’s efforts to promote exports and develop the tourism industry. The ministry is pushing to raise awareness of Korean foods in the world by promoting them on international food blogs and social media.
In addition, Tteokbokki start-ups are receiving support from investors to help them expand overseas. For example, Y Combinator, the leading US-based incubator program, invested in Haemukka (a personalized food recommendation platform) and Dando (full stack service and products for health, body, and wellness for women). It also backed WaHome’s Seed Round.