Rice, which is considered one of the top three produce crops along with wheat and corn, is a master of disguise. There are countless processed rice products using rice, such as meal replacements, desserts, and liquor, with excellent nutritional components. Recently, as processed rice products have been noted overseas as healthy foods that promote wellness, there has been an increased consumption of Tteok (rice cakes), a traditional Korean food. In addition to traditional Tteok, fusion Tteok, such as Tiramisu and Strawberry Cream Tteok, have become more diverse. Notably, Yeong Ui Jeong Co., Ltd. has been expanding to new sales channels by challenging export markets with various ‘frozen Tteok’ made of newly harvested rice.

#Frozen Tteok Productss
Currently, there are about 100 different Tteok products by YEONG UI JEONG Co., Ltd. Including OEM products, there would be more than 800 kinds of products. Yeong Ui Jeong. Yeong Ui Jeong’s products are largely divided into traditional Tteok and fusion Tteok. Traditional Tteok includes Songpyeon (half-moon rice cake) and Omegi Tteok, and fusion Tteok includes Tiramisu Tteok, which are popular among the younger generation. In respect that young people generally prefer sweet flavors, the company has developed fusion Tteok products that are familiar to them. The best aspect of Yeong Ui Jeong’s Tteok is that they are ‘frozen’ products.

Hence, unlike refrigerated Tteok, which spoil easily, they can be stored up to 1 year, and are easy to export by sea. It varies slightly depending on the product, however, the frozen Tteok can be eaten after it's thawed in a microwave oven for 15 to 20 seconds, or left at room temperature for 20 minutes in the summertime, and its texture is no less chewy than refrigerated Tteok.

Jeong Seong-bong, general manager of Yeong Ui Jeong said, “Our Tteok is made of glutinous rice, and they are kneaded several times, also because of the company’s recipe for the ingredients, the chewy Tteok texture is retained even though it have been frozen and thawed. Particularly, thanks to their long shelf life, they can be exported by sea rather than by air, which gives the advantage of reducing logistics costs.”

#Overseas Expansion with Traditional Tteok
Yeong Ui Jeong’s main export product is traditional Tteok. It’s because, currently, the main consumers who purchase Tteok are the elderly overseas Koreans and East Asians. Living in a foreign country, they consume traditional Tteok out of nostalgia for their hometown. Therefore, ‘Omegi Tteok’, ‘Ssuk (mugwort) Ojengyi Tteok’, and Songpyeon (half-moon Tteok) make up the majority of exports. Omegi Tteok, made of glutinous millet and glutinous rice, is characterized by its nutty flavor with red beans or bean powder on the outside. Ssuk Ojengyi Tteok, made by mixing glutinous rice and mugwort, is very sweet with red bean paste filling. Songpyeon, made with glutinous rice and filled with red beans or honey, with a characteristic half moon shape, is usually consumed on Chuseok (Korea Thanksgiving Day), so sales are high at this time.

Jeong Seong-bong, general manager of Yeong Ui Jeong, said, “Our products have a superb balance of flavors. Even foreign buyers who are unfamiliar with Tteok say they’re tasty when they try them. Fusion Tteok is aimed at young people and traditional Tteok is for sale targeting the elderly. Omegi Tteok, which is a traditional Tteok, is quite popular that it won first place in a Korean product show. As for the ingredients, only rice grown that year is used.” Starting this year, the company plans to procure raw materials through contract farming, which covers an area of 50 hectares. This is for uniformity of the quality of rice, which is the main ingredient of Tteok, and it indicates how seriously Yeong Ui Jeong takes quality control.

#Expected to increase exports with fusion Tteok
As good quality Tteok continues to be produced, there is a continuous increase in overseas demand. As overseas sales, which were only USD 400,000 in 2015, when Tteok was exported for the first time, kept on increasing significantly every year, it is expected that the cumulative export amount will surpass USD 4 million this year. This is due to the nearly doubling of actual exports in the western part of the U.S. The main distribution channel is H Mart.

In Australia, another importer, there is a demand for fusion Tteok, for which sales are expected to increase in the future. Although the export performance is insignificant due to low awareness of fusion Tteok, it is considered that it is sufficiently competitive in taste and quality. Yeong Ui Jeong explains that the taste evaluation of the fusion rice cake products, namely, Tiramisu Tteok, Strawberry Cream Cheese Tteok, and Corn Cream Cheese Tteok, proved satisfaction.
Jeong Seong-bong, general manager of Yeong Ui Jeong, said, “Consumers who participated in the tasting events in LA and New York responded positively. It seems that since fusion Tteok is little known in the current mainstream American society, the export proportions are rather modest. But we’re confident that if publicity and sales promotions are successfully carried out, they will be recognized as healthy snacks. We anticipate many inquiries from buyers regarding traditional and fusion Tteok.”

Web : www.younguijung.com
Tel : +82-32-656-9700
Fax : +82-32-657-7755
E-mail : jeong_sb@naver.com