There are times that we are too lazy and lethargic to do anything. But when we still need to eat, HMR is useful. The types of convenience food have been diversified recently, and products containing the ingredients of fresh agricultural products are released. The same goes for Korea. There are ‘Cupbahn’ a combination of soup and rice, and stew, and Tteokbokki (sitr-fried rice cake) products are very popular on Amazon. # From snacks to stews, Amazon’s ‘best’ Yopokki’s Rabokki (spicy rice cakes with ramyeon noodles) recently ranked 18th Best in Amazon’s Rice noodles list. A cup-rabokki product combining the taste of Jjajang (black-bean-sauce), it received a rating of 4.5 out of 5. Its taste, price, and convenience probably appealed to Amazon consumers. Other HMR products also received positive reviews from Amazon consumers. The main examples are CJ Cheiljedang’s Cupbahn, which combines instant rice and Jjigae (stew) into one product. Cupbahn has many types of dishes, such as curry, bibimbap, Sundubu Jjigae (soft bean curd stew), and Jjajangbap (black-bean-sauce rice), thus chosen by consumers who want to experience various Korean food. Moreover, Hansang’s Jeonbokjuk (abalone porridge) ranked 90th on Packaged Chowders and Ottogi’s Pork Kimchi Stew ranked 86th on Packa ged Stew. Also, Wang's Bulgogi hot pot soup ranked 54th in Deli & Prepared Foods, drawing attention of Amazon consumers. # Comment full of unique personality, why buy? According to the purchase reviews of products that ranked high in sales, the main keywords that led consumers’ purchase were preference for Korean food, taste, and storage. HMR products are easy to store, prepare, and eat, and are delicious. A particularly eye-catching evaluation was, “It’s perfect for my son’s school lunch. It is easy to cook and appropriate for my son to eat himself, because he can just simply microwave it.” Another consumer who purchased instant rice said, “Rice is good because it is healthy. It is delicious no matter what kind of meat it is served with.” Other reviews for purchase were varied, such as “cheap but high-quality in taste” and “there are many options to choose from thanks to the variety of Korean food menus.” Let’s check out the reviews from buyers. # Enjoy the fun of choosing There are many other convenient HMR food products in Korea. Seyeon Food’s Japchae is a traditional Korean feast dish turned into a convenient food product. It is suitable for those preferring vegetables food since it has glass noodles and vegetables. There are also companies specialize in selling soup products. At Chamstory, you can purchase Galbitang (rip soup), Gamjatang (pork backbone stew), and Miyeokguk (seaweed soup), which are commonly eaten in Korea. Gamjatang is a spicy stew with pork backbone, so you can eat the meat attached to the backbone. Miyeokguk has recently been spotlighted as a healthy food and is cooked with seaweed, emitting the unique deep taste of seafood. There are also frozen products. Hearty spoon’s Korean Rice Pancake is a great winter snack and has an excellent sweet taste of the syrup inside. Sunbong Food’s Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) is also recommended to warm up and rejuvenate the body from the cold weather in winter.

South Korea’s summer goes into high gear with June. And the country gets more and more days with temperature soaring above 30℃. As temperature rises sharply, human body finds it difficult to adjust. People run out of stamina faster. Health food steps in at the right time. Korea has a variety of health foods, but jeonbokjuk, which includes abalone, a.k.a. the wild ginseng from the sea, is the country’s representative dish that is enjoyed by everyone, man and woman, young and old. Considering that the population is aging, it is an outstanding dish which not only is easy to eat and digest but can also restore stamina. Jeonbokjuk, which is minced abalone and soaked rice stir-fried with sesame oil and then boiled with added water, is rich in vitamin A, B1, and B2, calcium, zinc etc. and was enjoyed at the royal palace for its chewy mouthfeel and savoy flavor. It’s recipe is simple, too. By just preparing abalone well for cooking, one can quickly make nutrition-rich jeonbokjuk. Let’s start making jeonbokjuk. #Reliable abalone from Wando Wando County from Jeollanam-do is one of the world’s largest producers of abalone. The abalone output from Wando County takes up 70% of the entire South Korean output. Wando abalone, which feeds on sea algae such as kelp and sea mustard that grow in the clean sea, presents excellent quality with its tender meat. The virtues of abalone: With its rich vitamin A, abalone is effective in improving eye vision. As it effectively restores the energy in a post-partum mother and includes high water content, it helps increase breastmilk production. The calorie of abalone, a low-fat and high-protein food, is only 50㎉ per 70g. As arginine, which is included in abalone, breaks down fats, abalone makes an excellent diet food. How to prepare abalone for cooking: Use a soft brush to remove foreign matters from abalone. Insert a spoon inside the abalone shell to separate the flash from the shell. Abalone preparation is done by separating teeth and entrails as well. If an abalone is parboiled in boiling water for like 10 seconds before its shucking, it becomes easier to separate the flesh from the shell. Shucked and cleaned abalones are shrink-wrapped separately. And entrails are also stored separately. Shucked and cleaned abalones better be had right away, but if their long-time storage is necessary, they better be frozen. Ingredients & quantities (for 4 servings) 1 cup of rice (22g), water 1.75ℓ, f abalones (450g), sesame oil 1 tbsp, 1 small green onion (10g), soy sauce #Recipe ① Clean rice and soak it for 30 minutes. ② Drain the soaked rice with a strainer. ③ Shuck and clean abalones. ④ Take the flesh off the abalone shell and mince it. ⑤ Put sesame oil on a pot and stir-fry abalones in it. ⑥ Pour 7 cups of water and boil it on high fire. ⑦ When the water boils, reduce the fire to medium and add the soaked rice. While boiling it, stir it with a wooden spoon. ⑧ When the rice is done showing translucent and thick, move it to a bowl. Serve it with soy sauce. Tips. Adding abalone entrails lets you enjoy the rich taste of abalone porridge. If you choose conch instead of abalone, you get conch porridge. When buying abalones, choose glossy and elastic ones. ①Wando Abalone Co., Ltd.의 A Wando Whole Abalone Porridge A Wando Whole Abalone Porridge from Wando Abalone Co., Ltd. A Wando Whole Abalone Porridge is a product that includes a whole abalone. It is made at the factory of Wando Abalone Co., Ltd. which processes the abalone produced in Wando County. The package includes a microwavable bowl, laver powder sachet, sesame oil, and spoon to make sure that customers can conveniently enjoy the porridge anywhere. The product has been HACCP certified, too. ·Tel: +82 61-555-36001 ·Fax: +82 61-555-3610 ·www.wakoreaglobal.com ②The Frozen Abalone from Dashimachonbok The abalones grew for 2 to 5 years while eating nutritious kelp. Healthy abalones alone are culled and shucked before they are quick-frozen at –60℃. he product spares customers the trouble of shucking and cleaning the abalone. the company has come under spotlight overseas, as demonstrated by his 300,000-dollar-worth export deal signed with a Singaporean company. ·Tel: +82 80-365-3388 ·Fax: +82 61-552-2234 ·www.dashimachonbok.com/index.php?lang=en ③Rice Porridge with Abalone from Dongwon F&B Sweet rice and abalones are boiled together to further enhance the unique, deep flavor of the porridge. As the porridge is packaged as cooked, customers can eat it right away. You can have it as your meal replacement, taking sufficient nutrition with it. You can choose to add sesame oil or stir-fried laver powder according to your taste. ·Tel: +82 2-589-3196 ·www.dongwonfnb.com/services/EN/index