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Bling Booster — Health, Taste & Style

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Bling Booster Yogurt Sparkling

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Witch's Matcha

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Tium Global Inc.

Korean Dairy Products In 2021, Korea’s dairy exports were USD 170.49 million. Among them, infant formula accounts for the most at 61%, and raw milk and condensed milk each account for around 10%. Korean dairy products are drawing attention from people around the world since they use a variety of crude milk and pursue safety as their top priority. Unique milk products with different tastes and scents, such as banana flavored milk, are often posted on social media of people around the world. #Growing Fermented Milk Made from High-Quality Milk Milk is the basic raw ingredient of dairy products. In 2021, milk exports were USD 14.19 million. 80% of Korea’s milk exports is from Yonsei Dairy, which exports milk mainly to China and Southeast Asia such as Vietnam and Indonesia. Yonsei Dairy’s ‘Milk Talk Yonsei Dairy Farm Milk’, a product for export to China, has been recognized for its quality and received the Superior Taste Award for two years in a row in the dairy product category of the International Taste Institute this year. Seoul Milk Cooperative ranked first in the milk category in the Korean Premium Brand Index for 10 consecutive years. It produces ‘Seoul Milk,’ which is a premium milk using crude milk with a germ count of 1A and a somatic cell count of grade 1. Products with flavor added to milk are also popular. Banana flavored milk, coffee flavored milk, and strawberry flavored milk released by Yonsei dairy, Seoul Milk Cooperative, and Binggrae Co., Ltd. especially evoke the curiosity of overseas consumers who are used to white milk. Binggrae’s ‘Banana Flavored Milk’ entered the Japanese market for the first time among Korean dairy products and sold over USD 19.15 million in sales in China. Yogurt is a dairy product fermented with lactic acid bacteria in milk. The size of Korean fermented milk market has been growing at an average annual rate of 1.9% over the past five years. It is analyzed that consumption of fermented milk such as yogurt has grown with rising attention to health trends. Last year, the Korean fermented milk market share was in the order of by ‘Will’ of hy Co., Ltd., ‘Yogurt’ of Seoul Milk Cooperative, ‘Bulgari’ of Namyang Dairy Products Co., Ltd. and ‘Yoplait’ of Binggrae. ‘Will’ is introduced as even fermented milk can keep the stomach healthy, and ‘Yogurt is 65 ml, so it can be consumed at once. Recently, plain yogurt mixed with nuts is also emerging. #Korean Infant Formula Safety First Korean infant formula is very popular all over the world. In 2021, infant formula exports were USD 105.25 million, a 15.8% increase from 2019. The safety of infant formula is important since it is food for infants and young children, and Korean infant formula has high reliability in food safety. Namyang Dairy manages its products according to the EU’s international safety standards, and Maeil Dairies Co., Ltd. tests all baby food products for radiation risk factors. Also, the Korea Consumer Agency investigated the status of infant formula safety in Korea and announced in 2019 the decent hygiene condition of infant formula products since food poisoning bacteria such as salmonella were not detected. Main products include Maeil Dairy’s ‘Absolute’ which cultured 2-FL, a self-defense ingredient found in breast milk, for the first time in Korea; Namyang Dairy’s ‘I’m Mother’, which contains three proteins that make up 70% of breast milk protein such as beta-casein and lactoferrin, and ‘Pasteur withMom’ of Lotte Confectionery Co., Ltd., which contains multi-live lactic acid bacteria and plant-based DHA. In addition, the diversification of crude milk of infant formula is a characteristic of Korean infant formula. For infants and toddlers with milk protein allergy, products made with goat milk or low-fat milk stand out. ‘Foodis Goat Milk Infant Formula’ produced by Ildong Foodis uses goat milk from New Zealand, a developed country in dairy farming, and contains prebiotics that help gut health. Ivenet has launched the ‘Golden Jersey series’ made from Jersey cow’s milk. Jersey cow was improved to make milk for the British royal family; its skim milk powder contains A2 beta-casein in breast milk, so it is easy to digest, and has a soft texture thanks to its high milk fat content. Based on these advantage, Korean infant formula is expanding its export market beyond China, the largest exporter, to Southeast Asia. #Another Dairy Product, Cheese & Ice Cream There are diverse dairy products in Korea. A main product is soymilk. Since it is a plant-based drink, it is a milk substitute that can be chosen by those who prefer vegans or cannot digest milk. ‘Whole Soy Milk’ of Hanmi Healthcare Inc. contains only 100% Korean soybeans with the original nutrients as is. It is known as premium soymilk by adding postbiotics, new lactic acid bacteria that helps gut health. Cheese is also a major dairy product. Seoul Milk Cooperative sells ‘Enfant Organic Baby Cheese’ tailored to each age group, which uses organic sliced-cheese certified as organic processed food. Cube cheese is also drawing attention as the single drinking culture spreads as the influence of COVID-19. Danmeefood’s ‘Rainbow Cube Cheese Mix’ is a 3.3 g cube-shaped cheese with not only the original cheese, but also with 7 fruit flavors such as strawberry, mango, banana and melon to cheese. It is great for snacks as well as snacks for children, and it has a long shelf life of one year because it is stored frozen. Ice cream cannot be skipped when it comes to dairy products. The famous one is Korea’s first organic ice cream from Bumsan Dairy Farm, the No. 1 eco-certified ranch that makes ice cream with organic milk. Bumsan Dairy Farm also makes organic yogurt, organic cheese, and organic milk tea. Assifood releases ‘Assi’ brand’ice creams, such as ‘Coconut flavored ice bar’, ‘Banana flavored ice bar’, and ‘Melon flavored ice bar’. With the name ‘Assi,’ a Korean term for a young, unmarried woman, Assifood aims for a sophisticated, polished style of Korean food.

Soju, beer, and makgeolli are Korean’s most favorite alcoholic drinks. Some people mix soju and beer together in proper proportions to make ‘Somaek’, and makgeolli with pajeon (Green onion pancake) is a go-to treat on rainy days. Notably, soju is one of the best-selling alcoholic drinks in the world due to its high sales volume in Korea. Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage with a similar alcoholic content to beer, and it charmingly goes well with Korean traditional dishes such as pajeon and dubukimchi (Bean Curd with Stir-fried Kimchi). Recently, a variety of traditional alcoholic drinks have been produced, creating a traditional liquor wave among the younger generation. #Korea’s Unique Drinking Culture and Trends A work day ends at 6 p.m., and this is when ‘Hoesik’ (office dinner) begins in Korea. There are much fewer Hoesik now due to COVID-19, however, the typical Hoesik includes moving on to the first and second rounds of drinking and eating together until late evening to relieve stress. ‘Somaek’ is the alcoholic drink that represents this Hoesik culture. Somaek, a mixture of soju and beer, is normally made by pouring a glass of soju into a beer glass and filling the rest with beer. Unlike cocktails, which are made by mixing various ingredients other than alcohol, the Korean way of mixing alcohol with another alcohol is unconventional. Recently, in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, the worldwide trends for ‘home drinking’ and for low-alcoholic drinks have generated the rise in consumption of fruit soju. Notably, the popularity of low-alcoholic fruit soju, rather than regular soju, is increasing in overseas markets. According to the Export-Import Trade Statistics of the Korea Customs Service, exports of regular soju such as ‘Chamisul’ and ‘Chum-Churum’ amounted to USD 85.6 million in 2020, which showed a decrease by 4.6% from 2019. On the other hand, exports of fruit soju such as ‘Jinro Grapefruit’ and ‘Chum-Churum Flaveored-AppleMango’ soared by 71.8% year-on-year at USD 49.58 million over the previous year. From this time forth, it is expected that sweet fruit soju, which is milder and easier to drink than regular soju, will grow in popularity based around overseas markets. #Korean Traditional Liquor Getting Younger There is quite a variety of traditional alcoholic drinks in Korea. With the development of the time-honored custom of ‘home-brewed liquor’ in every house, various traditional alcoholic drinks came into being in different regions. There are wide varieties of famous brands of Korean liquor including Andong Soju of Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Sogokju of Seocheon, Chungcheongnam-do, Songhwabaekiljoo of Iksan, Jeollabuk-do, etc. While the alcohol content of regular soju, commonly sold in supermarkets, is less than 20 percent alcohol by volume, Andong Soju has up to 45 percent alcohol by volume. You can readily experience Korean traditional alcoholic drinks at the ‘Traditional Liquor Gallery’ located in Gangnam, Seoul. Each month, the traditional liquor from a different region is selected for a new theme, and a tasting experience program is operated. An employee at the gallery explained, “Recently, due to COVID-19, more and more people are enjoying ‘drinking alone’, and because it’s easy to buy traditional alcoholic beverages online, traditional liquors are getting more popular. In line with this trend, with a sense of youth added, Korean traditional liquors are becoming younger in taste and design. They’re popular with foreigners, and especially, many buy traditional liquors contained in porcelain for souvenirs.” *Tip. The Traditional Liquor Gallery -Hours of Operation: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed every Monday and holidays (Reservations are necessary) #Korean Drinking Etiquette There are few rules to follow while drinking in Korea. First of all, you pour alcoholic drinks for one another, and not for yourself. So you need to check if the other person’s glass is empty. Also, you don’t fill up a glass before it is empty. You should pour more after the glass has been emptied. Lastly, when drinking with one’s elders, it is polite to turn around to drink, and use both hands to pour and receive liquor. #KOOKSOONDANG, A Representative Korean Traditional Liquor Company KOOKSOONDANG Brewery CO., LTD., established in 1952, brews traditional liquors such as makgeolli, and is receiving the love of Korean people. Last year, for the first time in the traditional liquor industry, KOOKSOONDANG received the Export Tower Awardof USD 5 million from the Korean government. An employee at KOOKSOONDANG said, “An estimated export amount for 2021 is USD 8 million, which is 18% increase compared to last year. This year as well, we will renew our highest exports since our founding.” Notably, KOOKSOONDANG came to the fore by launching ‘KOOKSOONDANG Draught Makgeolli’, to which the ‘Makgeolli Fermentation Control Technology’ was applied, in 2009. The ‘Fermentation Control Technology’ pertains to grafting, onto the fermentation of draught makgeolli, the Champagne fermentation method by applying the technology of controlling the activity of living yeast in draught makgeolli, and of blocking the inflow of outside air. Through this, health-promoting vegetable lactic acid bacteria, unique to Draught Makgeolli, were made possible to be kept alive for a long time. 1. Bekseju It is a representative Korean traditional liquor fermented with Seolgaengmi (one of the rice varieties), rice used exclusively for brewing, and good Nuruk (fermenting agent used for brewing liquor), and 12 healthful medicinal herbs. It’s made by fermenting uncooked rice, so it tastes simple and gives you the least hangover. It goes well with most Korean dishes. It was the first Korean liquor product to be designated as Excellent Cultural Product selected by the Korean government. (13% alcohol by volume) 2. Draught Makgeolli It is a makgeolli that maintains its taste and freshness for a long time by blocking external air and by controlling activation of yeast through the ‘Fermentation Control Technology’ developed for the first time for Korean makgeolli. It contains health-promoting dietary fiber and vegetable lactic acid bacteria, and brewing with the non-heat Raw Rice Fermentation Method allows it to be rich in essential amino acids. (6% alcohol by volume) 3. 100 Billion Prebiotics Makgeolli It is premium makgeolli, and contains prebiotics. A bottle of makgeolli contains more than 100 billion heat-treated lactobacillus cultures, and 1000mg of fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic substance. In consideration of diversified consumption patterns for makgeolli, PET bottled products and small canned products are available as well. (5% alcohol by volume)