[Special Report] From the "Padak" Revolution to the "Mala" Takeover... A 15-Year Tumultuous History of K-Food Through Data (Part 1)

In-Depth Analysis of Food Trends from 2010 to 2019: At the Crossroads of Simple Fad and Industry Trend

The Gastronomic Topography Altered by Smartphones and SNS... An Era of Consuming 'Experience' and 'Authentication' Rather Than Just 'Taste'

Over the past decade (2010-2019), the dining table in South Korea has been more dynamic than ever. The widespread adoption of smartphones has given food a new value called 'visuals,' and the prolonged economic downturn has given rise to the polarized consumption patterns of 'cost-effectiveness' and 'small but certain happiness (small luxury).' This journal analyzed data on the launch dates and peak-out points of numerous food items that poured out from 2010 to 2019. In Part 1, we look back in detail on the 10-year history centering on companies and brands, starting from the variations of chicken toppings, through the golden age of sweet desserts, to the conquest of the intensely spicy mala.

1. The Prelude to Variation: The Destruction of Stereotypes and the Beginning of Fusion (2010-2011)

The start of the 2010s was about 'twisting the familiar.' 'Padak (green onion chicken),' which began to spread in earnest in March 2010, opened a new category in the chicken market by catching the greasiness of fried chicken with pungent shredded green onions and mustard sauce. NeNe Chicken, Kyochon Chicken, and others put it forward as their flagship product, and after an explosive growth period of about 15 months, padak has now firmly established itself as a basic option for chicken.

The year 2011 was one in which the 'color war' in the ramen industry was fierce. Until then, it was an unwritten rule that 'ramen broth must be red,' but 'Kkokkomyeon,' released by Paldo in collaboration with Lee Kyung-kyu, caused a massive shortage as soon as it was launched. In response, Samyang Foods countered with 'Nagasaki Jjamppong,' opening the heyday of 'white broth.' Although Kkokkomyeon and Nagasaki Jjamppong peaked in popularity and descended after 5 months and 18 months, respectively, this served as an important opportunity to secure diversity in the Korean ramen market.

Around the same time, 'bubble tea,' spearheaded by Gong cha and others, also began to spread through franchising from April 2011, creating a primary boom and targeting a niche in the cafe market.

2. The Shadow of Recession: The Coexistence of Cost-Effectiveness and Performance (2012-2013)

Moving into 2012, as the depths of the economic recession deepened, the dining-out market responded with 'cost-effectiveness.' The 'small beer' trend, which spread from July 2013, is a representative example. Brands like Bonggu Beer and Chunja Beer dominated the alley commercial districts for 20 months by providing spaces where people could enjoy french fries and beer at low prices. 'Andong Jjimdak,' which was re-illuminated in 2012, also showed the process of brands such as Bongchu Jjimdak settling as steady sellers for low- to mid-priced dining out.

On the other hand, centered around the 1020 generation, 'performance desserts' that offer visual fun gained popularity. In 2012, 'Schneeballen' created scenes of people lining up at department store food halls with its unique method of cracking the pastry with a wooden hammer before eating. In 2013, the 'honeycomb ice cream' triggered by Softree showcased an unconventional visual by topping ice cream with natural honeycomb. However, both Schneeballen (17 months) and honeycomb ice cream (16 months) saw their repurchase rates plummet once the visual curiosity was satisfied, remaining as typical examples of a 'fad (temporary trend).'

3. Sweet Comfort: The Premiumization of Desserts and the Birth of National Snacks (2013-2014)

Appearing in April 2013, 'Sulbing' combined 'snowflake shaved ice' and injeolmi, elevating shaved ice from a seasonal summer business to a year-round dessert industry. Snowflake shaved ice, made by shaving frozen milk instead of coarse ice, went through a long popularity period of 27 months to settle as a standard menu item in cafes.

In 2014, the confectionery industry was heated by the 'Honey Butter Chip' craze of Haitai Confectionery & Foods. This product, which opened a new horizon of taste with 'sweet and salty' potato chips, had such a huge social impact that it even sparked controversy over 'hostage marketing' due to its short supply. In the dining-out industry, 'cheese back ribs' such as James Cheese Back Ribs was popular for 16 months, popularizing the 'cheese topping' trend of generously placing cheese on spicy food. 'Churros' were also elevated from movie theater snacks to an independent dessert menu as specialty shops like Street Churros emerged.

4. Bitter Failure and New Shoots: The Fall of Castella and the Rise of Health Foods (2015-2017)

The 'fruit soju' craze, which started with Lotte Chilsung Beverage's 'Sunhari' in 2015, shook the liquor market for 16 months in tandem with the increase in the female drinking population.

However, 2016 was a year when the dark side of the franchise industry was revealed. 'Giant castella,' which came over from Taiwan, swept the startup market with its fluffy texture and enormous size, but after a controversial report by an investigative journalism program in 2017 regarding the excessive use of cooking oil, it was shunned by consumers and virtually expelled from the market within 15 months. This is an example showing the influence of the media and the dangers of unprepared me-too entrepreneurship.

'Poke,' which appeared around the same time in 2016, was different. It was an unfamiliar Hawaiian salad at the time, but in line with the 'healthy pleasure' trend that emphasizes health, specialty brands such as Slow Cali have grown and continue to play a pivotal role in the salad market to this day. 'Taiwanese sandwiches,' represented by Hung Rui Chen, also targeted a niche market as a simple meal replacement after their first appearance in 2016.

5. The Era of Extremes: The Ultimate Visuals and the Attack of Stimulating Tastes (2018-2019)

The late 2010s saw Instagram and YouTube dominating the food culture. In 2018, the rest area snack 'Sotteok Sotteok' became a national snack following a mention by broadcaster Lee Young-ja, and 'Gopchang,' which benefited from the 'mukbang' effect of girl group Mamamoo's Hwasa, created a bizarre phenomenon where gopchang restaurants nationwide ran out of ingredients.

In particular, 'macarons (ttungcaron)' are a successful example of Korean localization. Unlike the original French ones with thin fillings, 'K-macarons' thickly stuffed with filling became a mecca for SNS authentication shots with their overwhelming visuals, establishing an unusually long-term reign of 30 months.

In 2019, it was 'malatang' and 'brown sugar bubble tea' that decorated the finale of the decade. Malatang specialty stores like Tang Hwa Kung Fu hit the spot for Generation Z, who wanted to relieve stress with spicy, numbing, and stimulating tastes. Despite initial hygiene controversies, malatang has now been crowned as a 'national spicy taste' on par with tteokbokki. Brown sugar bubble tea, led by Taiwanese brands like Tiger Sugar and The Alley, also heated up 2019 with its intense sweetness and tiger-stripe-like visuals.

The 2010s began with 'variations of taste' like padak and Kkokkomyeon, overcame the painful failure of giant castella, and evolved into a market where one cannot survive without a 'clear concept' and 'authenticable visuals' like malatang and ttungcaron. The delivery app infrastructure, home meal replacement (HMR) technology, and diversified tastes accumulated during this period were heralding another explosive change of a different form in the face of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.