Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation (aT) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) hosted the 2024 New York K-Food Fair in New York City, USA, from May 29 to June 1. This event marked a significant milestone in K-food exports, underscoring the rapid popularity of Korean agricultural products and cuisine in the U.S. market. Last year, Korean food exports to the U.S. reached a record-breaking USD 1.314 billion, surpassing both Japan and China. The U.S.'s most popular Korean food products include ramyeon, snacks, beverages, kimchi, and traditional fermented sauces. The widespread influence of the Korean Wave contributes to the increasing demand for various Korean delicacies. At the event, we conducted B2B export consultations and B2C market testing to gauge the response to consumer preferences and demand. The positive feedback from buyers on products like Yuja sticks, pumpkin injeolmi (bean-powder-coated rice cake), and shrimp ramyeon garnered positive feedback from buyers, with 423 export consultations resulting in a total performance of USD 56 million, is a clear indication of the growing acceptance and demand for Korean food products. Furthermore, an in-person tasting event showcased popular Korean foods such as “Buldak Ramyeon,” “Turtle Chips,” and “Milkis,” further reinforcing Korean food exports' ongoing success and growth potential in the U.S. market. Various interactive events, such as the Food Tech Zone, K-Food Cooking Show, and Roblox K-Food Simulator Challenge, were also held during the same period and received great response from the Millennial and Gen Z generation in the U.S.

Chef Eric Trochon This September, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) held a K-FOOD Export Fair in Paris, France and drew attention by consulting on Korean agricultural products exports worth USD 12.4 million. aT especially captured the visitors’ attention with the participation of Chef Eric Trochon, a master chef in Paris, France who presented high-quality dishes using Korean ingredients in a cooking demonstration event held at a local restaurant in Paris. Through Chef Eric Trochon, we heard about the competitiveness of Korean Agricultural Products. Q. Could you give us a brief introduction about yourself? I am a head chef at a restaurant in Paris, France, and a globetrotter who travels around the world. My love for cooking and traveling since I was a child has led me to work extensively in Asia and thus I know Korea very well. Q. You hosted a pre-cooking event at the K-FOOD Fair in Paris, what kind of dishes did you present? The dishes presented at this year’s K-FOOD Fair are French cuisine that used Korean ingredients. For example, one of the main dishes is lobster raviole with kimchi seafood sauce and it was one of the most popular dishes there. Another dish is roast beef tenderloin marinated in Korean pear juice and served with a sauce like Korean Bulgogi sauce. For this sauce, I used Gochujang (red pepper paste) as a seasoning and modified it by adding apples and butter. These dishes were very well received on the event spot. Q. I would like to hear if Korean Agricultural Products goes well with overseas local foods. Korean ingredients go well with local French food and French culture. When I try to make fusion food in a fancy, classy way, Korean ingredients are perfect for French food. Q. What do you think is the competitiveness of Korean Agricultural Products? Korean cuisines are special because they use traditional ingredients. Korea’s food culture is the exact opposite of Korea’s “Hurry-Hurry” culture because Koreans spend a lot of time getting ingredients that are both healthy and tasteful. Fermentation is the core of Korean cuisine and flavor as well. For example, Korea is one of the few countries that wait years to get the perfect Ganjang (soy sauce) Q. How would you like to introduce Korean food globally in the future? I think Korean cuisines are based a lot on seasonings and ingredients, so the ingredients should be introduced little by little followed by the beef seasoning method as I said before. In my opinion, the beef marinade sauce is very interesting. I will slowly make effort to get people familiar with Korean food ingredients. As people become familiar with the taste, we’ll be able to use more Korean recipes.