Laver (a type of seaweed) is a favorite side dish for every Korean. Recently, various processed products using laver have been developed, making it suitable for side dishes and snacks taken with alcoholic drinks. Notably, the unique texture and salty taste of laver snacks have allowed them to emerge as a global food. Recently, laver snacks have become popular among all ages in the United States due to their unique aroma and the widespread recognition that they are a healthy food. #The Growing U.S. Laver snack Market From 2015 to 2019, imports of laver snack-related products maintained an annual growth rate of 8%. Especially imports of laver snack-related products increased 18% year-on-year in 2016, showing a rapid growth. Then, just how many laver snack-related products have been exported to the United States by Korea, where various laver-related products are produced? The result indicates that the U.S. is the second largest importer of laver snack-related products after Mexico. The U.S. imported USD 160 million worth of Korean laver snack-related products, accounting for 11% of the total imports. #The reason why American consumers love Laver snack Like so, it has been analyzed that the reason why laver snack-related products are in the limelight in the U.S. is because they are perceived to be good for health and low in calories. In fact, it is easy to find the health-related certificates such as organic, gluten-free, and vegan for the laver snack-related products sold in the U.S. The laver snack is not merely a snack, but it has become quite popular as a low-calorie healthy food. How do Americans search for laver snacks on the Internet and utilize them? According to a survey, the keywords for laver snacks sold on online shopping websites in the U.S. are Crisp, Chips, and Crunch in order of frequency of occurrence. In addition, on online shopping websites in the U.S., laver snacks with the original taste without added flavor have been sold the most. The second most sold are laver snacks with the hot and spicy taste. However, rather than the spicy taste of chili, the products with added spiciness of wasabi or onion are more popular. #Korean Laver snack Boom Most of the laver snack products on online shopping websites in the U.S. are from Korea. Also, they are packaged in the same kind of packaging used for the typical Korean seasoned laver products (pastic wrapper). Local reactions show clearly how the laver snack is evaluated within the U.S. market. The interviews with local distributors conducted by Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) overall indicate the high demand for Korean laver snack products. In particular, it is significant that the laver snack has become one of the largest categories in the U.S. food market. Han Man-woo, director of the Los Angeles Branch Office of aT, said, “As more and more consumers are looking for healthy food in the U.S., tasty and healthy laver snack purchases are expected to increase. If product improvement and new product development are carried out, we can expect the continuous popularity of laver snacks.” Data Source : Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT)

Kimchi, a soul food for Koreans, can be transformed into various forms. It is a versatile base food used to make numerous Korean dishes including kimchijjigae(kimchi stew), bokkeum kimchi(stir-fried kimchi), and kimchijeon(kimchi pancake). Kimchibokkeumbap(Kimchi fried rice), which is a dish made by mixing chopped kimchi and meat with cooked rice and stir-frying them, is popular as a typical Korean home-made meal that does not require any other side dishes. Only with a few other ingredients in addition to the main ingredient, kimchi, mouthwatering Kimchibokkeumbap can be made in a flash. Let’s make the simple yet scrumptious dish, which is loved by Blackpink members including Jennie, with the following golden recipe prepared by . Main Ingredients(two servings): 2 strips of pork belly, kimchi 300g, large green onion, 4 cloves of garlic, cooked rice 300g Sub-ingredients(sauce): 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp of red chili paste, 1/2 tbsp of sugar, 3 or 4 pinches of ground black pepper, 1tbsp of red pepper powder Cooking time: 15 min. Calories: 650 kcal #Recipe 1. Cut green onions and cut garlic into wide pieces. And cut pork belly so that it's easy to eat. 2. Cut the kimchi into bite-size pieces. 3. Mix the seasoning sauce ingredients. 4. Grill pork belly with the ingredients. 5. Add the prepared kimchi when the ingredients are cooked properly. 6. When the kimchi is cooked evenly, add rice and mix it. 7. Kimchibokkeumbap is complete! ·TIP: When it is not that spicy, add some spicy chilis. According to Jennie’s recipe, hot chilis are added at the last minute. It is also good to put a fried egg on the top of Kimchibokkeumbap. Bokkeumbap(Stir-Fired Rice) # Dried Laver Flakes, An Essential Item for Bokkeumbap One of the ingredients that are never left out to make bokkeumbap(fried rice) in Korea is dried laver flakes. Just adding the flakes into some bland dishes can bring them back to life. A slight amount of sesame oil and savory salt on each one of the flakes adds a rich flavor and makes a dish more delicious. It may be no exaggeration to say that there are no Koreans who do not taste the flakes. This is because the flakes are used to make bokkeumbap at the last minute when you almost finish some main dishes such as Dakgalbi(spicy stir-fried chicken). The flakes are also used to make jumeokbap(rice balls). The jumeokbap is made by coating cooked rice with the flakes and can be a simple yet perfect substitute for a meal for children. The dried laver flakes are indeed magic powder as they are used everywhere to make dishes tastier. Recently, the flakes are getting popular in Southeast Asia. In fact, the laver flakes are posted as a best seller on Shopee, a representing online shopping platform in Southeast Asia. A consumer left a post on the purchase of the flakes, “my baby always wants rice mixed with dried laver flakes for three meals a day.” # Enjoy Korean Products Exported Abroad 1) Hanwoomul’s Kimchi Fried Rice Hanwoomul, an agricultural association corporation, makes kimchi fried rice with Korean well-ripened kimchi to offer consumers a richer taste of kimchi. Hanwoomul’s kimchi fried rice is a healthy food because it contains more vegetables and kimchi than other kimchi fried rice products. It is ready to eat only after about two minutes in a microwave. In addition to the fried rice, Hanwoomul exports a variety of products including rice with seasoned vegetables, nutritious rice, and soup with rice. The food company is planning to expand the lines of products to be exported to include sauces and frozen foods. ·Tel: +82-63-547-8200 ·Web: http://www.hanwoomul.kr 2) Haenong’s Number One Seasoned Laver Product Haenong, a Korean food company established in 2004, produces and exports dried laver flakes. With the belief in mind that a product that can satisfy consumers is a really good one, the food company is working hard to improve the quality of its products. It thoroughly manages the whole production and distribution process from farming laver to distributing complete products. Haenong’s products have thus passed the test by the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA). The company also sells other laver products including dried laver for gimbap and seasoned laver, in addition to dried laver flakes. ·Tel: +82-1877-9244 ·Web: http://shop2.haenong1.cafe24.com/