Korean Food Trends by Year
Food trends in South Korea change quickly, often influenced by social media, TV shows, and global culture. Each year, a new dish or snack becomes extremely popular, and people line up at restaurants or post photos online to enjoy the trend. These food crazes not only reflect eating habits but also show the lifestyle and interests of younger generations.
Çѱ¹ÀÇ À½½Ä À¯ÇàÀº ºü¸£°Ô ¹Ù²î¸ç, ¼Ò¼È ¹Ìµð¾î, TV ÇÁ·Î±×·¥, ¼¼°èÀûÀÎ ¹®ÈÀÇ ¿µÇâÀ» Å©°Ô ¹Þ½À´Ï´Ù. ¸Å³â »õ·Î¿î À½½ÄÀ̳ª °£½ÄÀÌ Å« Àα⸦ ²ø¸ç, »ç¶÷µéÀº ±× À½½ÄÀ» Áñ±â±â À§ÇØ ÁÙÀ» ¼°Å³ª ¿Â¶óÀο¡ »çÁøÀ» ¿Ã¸®°ï ÇÕ´Ï´Ù. ÀÌ·¯ÇÑ À½½Ä ¿Ç³Àº ´Ü¼øÈ÷ ¸Ô´Â ½À°üÀ» º¸¿©ÁÙ »Ó¸¸ ¾Æ´Ï¶ó ÀþÀº ¼¼´ëÀÇ »ýȰ ¹æ½Ä°ú °ü½É»ç¸¦ µå·¯³»±âµµ ÇÕ´Ï´Ù.
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trend: À¯Çà, È帧
influenced by: ~ÀÇ ¿µÇâÀ» ¹ÞÀº
extremely: ¸Å¿ì, ±Øµµ·Î
line up: ÁÙÀ» ¼´Ù
craze: ¿Ç³, ±¤Ç³
reflect: ¹Ý¿µÇÏ´Ù
lifestyle: »ýȰ ¹æ½Ä
generation: ¼¼´ë
Honey Butter Chips
In 2015, ¡°Honey Butter Chips¡± became a national craze. This sweet and salty potato chip was so popular that convenience stores often sold out within minutes. People even traded bags of chips online because of the shortage. This trend showed how quickly social media could turn a simple snack into a nationwide obsession.
2015³â¿¡´Â ¡®Çã´Ï¹öÅÍĨ¡¯ÀÌ Àü±¹ÀûÀÎ ¿Ç³À» ÀÏÀ¸Ä×½À´Ï´Ù. ´ÞÄÞÇÏ¸é¼ Â¬Â©ÇÑ ÀÌ °¨ÀÚĨÀº ³Ê¹« ÀαⰡ ¸¹¾Æ ÆíÀÇÁ¡¿¡¼ ¸î ºÐ ¸¸¿¡ ǰÀýµÇ°ï Çß½À´Ï´Ù. ǰ±Í Çö»ó ¶§¹®¿¡ »ç¶÷µéÀº ¿Â¶óÀο¡¼ °¨ÀÚĨÀ» ¼·Î °Å·¡Çϱ⵵ Çß½À´Ï´Ù. ÀÌ À¯ÇàÀº ´Ü¼øÇÑ °£½Äµµ ¼Ò¼È ¹Ìµð¾î¸¦ ÅëÇØ ¾ó¸¶³ª ºü¸£°Ô Àü±¹ÀûÀÎ ÁýÂøÀ¸·Î º¯ÇÒ ¼ö ÀÖ´ÂÁö¸¦ º¸¿©ÁÖ¾ú½À´Ï´Ù.
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craze: ¿Ç³
shortage: ºÎÁ·, ǰ±Í
obsession: ÁýÂø
convenience store: ÆíÀÇÁ¡
sell out: ¸ÅÁøµÇ´Ù, ǰÀýµÇ´Ù
trade: °Å·¡ÇÏ´Ù
Bubble Tea
Bubble tea, originally from Taiwan, became very popular in South Korea around 2013. With its chewy tapioca pearls and sweet milk tea flavor, it quickly attracted young people. Cafés specializing in bubble tea appeared everywhere, and it became a common drink to carry around while walking in trendy neighborhoods.
¹öºíƼ´Â ´ë¸¸¿¡¼ ½ÃÀÛµÈ À½·á·Î, 2013³âÂë Çѱ¹¿¡¼ Å« Àα⸦ ²ø¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. Â̱êÇÑ Å¸ÇÇ¿ÀÄ« ÆÞ°ú ´ÞÄÞÇÑ ¹ÐũƼ ¸ÀÀº ºü¸£°Ô ÀþÀº ÃþÀ» »ç·ÎÀâ¾Ò½À´Ï´Ù. ¹öºíƼ Àü¹® Ä«Æä°¡ °÷°÷¿¡ »ý°å°í, »ç¶÷µéÀÌ Æ®·»µðÇÑ °Å¸®¿¡¼ µé°í ´Ù´Ï¸ç Áñ°Ü ¸¶½Ã´Â ÈçÇÑ À½·á°¡ µÇ¾ú½À´Ï´Ù.
¡ß ´Ü¾îÀå
chewy: Â̱êÇÑ
tapioca pearls: ŸÇÇ¿ÀÄ« ÆÞ
flavor: ¸À
specialize in: Àü¹®À¸·Î ÇÏ´Ù
trendy: À¯ÇàÇÏ´Â, ¼¼·ÃµÈ
Brown Sugar Bubble Tea
In 2019, brown sugar bubble tea became a huge sensation in Korea. Unlike regular bubble tea, it featured a rich caramel-like syrup that created beautiful stripes inside the cup. People were fascinated by its sweet taste and Instagram-worthy appearance, leading to long lines outside popular stores.
2019³â¿¡´Â Èæ´ç ¹öºíƼ°¡ Çѱ¹¿¡¼ ¾öû³ Àα⸦ ²ø¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. ÀÏ¹Ý ¹öºíƼ¿Í ´Þ¸®, Èæ¼³ÅÁ ½Ã·´ÀÌ Ä«¶ó¸á °°Àº ÁøÇÑ ¸ÀÀ» ³»¸ç ÄÅ ¾È¿¡ ¸ÚÁø ÁÙ¹«´Ì¸¦ ¸¸µé¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. »ç¶÷µéÀº ´ÞÄÞÇÑ ¸À°ú ÀνºÅ¸±×·¥¿¡ ¿Ã¸®±â ÁÁÀº ºñÁÖ¾ó¿¡ ¸Å·áµÇ¾ú°í, Àαâ ÀÖ´Â ¸ÅÀå ¾Õ¿¡´Â ±ä ÁÙÀÌ »ý±â°ï Çß½À´Ï´Ù.
¡ß ´Ü¾îÀå
brown sugar: Èæ¼³ÅÁ
caramel-like: Ä«¶ó¸á °°Àº
syrup: ½Ã·´
fascinated: ¸Å·áµÈ
appearance: ¿ÜÇü, ºñÁÖ¾ó
Instagram-worthy: ÀνºÅ¸±×·¥¿¡ ¿Ã¸± ¸¸ÇÑ
Myungrang Hot Dogs
Myungrang hot dogs, also known as Korean corn dogs, became a famous street food trend in 2018. Covered in batter, sugar, and sometimes filled with cheese, these hot dogs were crispy on the outside and soft inside. They quickly spread beyond Korea, gaining popularity in the United States and other countries as well.
¸í¶ûÇÖµµ±×, Áï Çѱ¹½Ä ÇÖµµ±×´Â 2018³â¿¡ ´ëÇ¥ÀûÀÎ ±æ°Å¸® À½½ÄÀ¸·Î Å« Àα⸦ ¾ò¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. Æ¢±è¿Ê°ú ¼³ÅÁÀ¸·Î µ¤¿© ÀÖ°í, ¶§·Î´Â Ä¡Áî°¡ µé¾î ÀÖ¾î °ÑÀº ¹Ù»èÇÏ°í ¼ÓÀº ºÎµå·¯¿î °ÍÀÌ Æ¯Â¡À̾ú½À´Ï´Ù. ¸í¶ûÇÖµµ±×´Â Çѱ¹À» ³Ñ¾î ¹Ì±¹°ú ´Ù¸¥ ³ª¶ó¿¡¼µµ Àα⸦ ²ø¸ç È®»êµÇ¾ú½À´Ï´Ù.
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corn dog: ÇÖµµ±× (¹Ì±¹½Ä)
batter: Æ¢±è¿Ê ¹ÝÁ×
crispy: ¹Ù»èÇÑ
spread: ÆÛÁö´Ù, È®»êÇÏ´Ù
beyond: ~À» ³Ñ¾î¼
Fire Noodles (Buldak-bokkeum-myeon)
Fire noodles, officially called Buldak-bokkeum-myeon, became a viral sensation in 2016. Famous for their extreme spiciness, these instant noodles sparked the ¡°fire noodle challenge¡± on YouTube, where people tried to finish a whole bowl. The trend made Korean spicy food more recognized worldwide.
ºÒ´ßººÀ½¸éÀº 2016³â¿¡ Àü ¼¼°èÀûÀ¸·Î ÈÁ¦°¡ µÈ ¡®ÇÖ¡¯ ¾ÆÀÌÅÛÀ̾ú½À´Ï´Ù. ±Øµµ·Î ¸Å¿î¸ÀÀ¸·Î À¯¸íÇÑ ÀÌ ¶ó¸éÀº À¯Æ©ºê¿¡¼ ¡®ºÒ´ß 縰Áö¡¯¸¦ À¯Çà½ÃŰ¸ç »ç¶÷µéÀÌ ÇÑ ±×¸©À» ´Ù ¸Ô´Â µµÀü¿¡ ³ª¼°Ô ¸¸µé¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. ÀÌ À¯Çà ´öºÐ¿¡ Çѱ¹ÀÇ ¸Å¿î À½½ÄÀÌ ¼¼°èÀûÀ¸·Î ´õ ³Î¸® ¾Ë·ÁÁö°Ô µÇ¾ú½À´Ï´Ù.
¡ß ´Ü¾îÀå
viral sensation: Æø¹ßÀû Àαâ
extreme: ±ØµµÀÇ
spiciness: ¸Å¿î¸À
challenge: µµÀü
worldwide: Àü ¼¼°èÀûÀ¸·Î
recognize: ÀÎÁ¤ÇÏ´Ù, ¾Ë¾Æº¸´Ù
Dalgona Coffee
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, dalgona coffee became a worldwide sensation. This whipped coffee drink started in South Korea and quickly spread across the globe through TikTok and Instagram. People made it at home by whipping instant coffee, sugar, and water, then pouring it over milk. It symbolized comfort and creativity during a difficult time.
2020³â Äڷγª19 ÆÒµ¥¹Í ½Ã±â¿¡´Â ´Þ°í³ª Ä¿Çǰ¡ Àü ¼¼°èÀûÀ¸·Î ¼±Ç³ÀûÀÎ Àα⸦ ²ø¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. ÀÌ ÈÖÇÎ Ä¿ÇÇ À½·á´Â Çѱ¹¿¡¼ ½ÃÀÛµÇ¾î Æ½Åå°ú ÀνºÅ¸±×·¥À» ÅëÇØ ºü¸£°Ô Àü ¼¼°è·Î ÆÛÁ®³ª°¬½À´Ï´Ù. »ç¶÷µéÀº ÀνºÅÏÆ® Ä¿ÇÇ, ¼³ÅÁ, ¹°À» ÈÖÇÎÇÑ µÚ ¿ìÀ¯ À§¿¡ ¾ñ¾î Áý¿¡¼ ¸¸µé¾î Áñ°å½À´Ï´Ù. ÀÌ À½·á´Â Èûµç ½Ã±â ¼Ó¿¡¼ À§·Î¿Í âÀǼºÀ» »ó¡Çß½À´Ï´Ù.
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pandemic: Àü¿°º´ ´ëÀ¯Çà
sensation: ¼±Ç³ÀûÀÎ Àαâ, ÈÁ¦
spread: ÆÛÁö´Ù
whip: ÈÖÁ£´Ù, ÈÖÇÎÇÏ´Ù
symbolize: »ó¡ÇÏ´Ù
creativity: âÀǼº
Pokémon Bread
Pokémon bread, which originally appeared in the early 2000s, returned in 2022 and became a massive craze. The bread itself was ordinary, but the collectible Pokémon stickers inside were the real attraction. People rushed to convenience stores early in the morning, and the bread sold out within hours.
Æ÷Äϸó»§Àº 2000³â´ë ÃÊ¹Ý Ã³À½ Ãâ½ÃµÇ¾ú´Ù°¡ 2022³â¿¡ ´Ù½Ã µîÀåÇØ ¾öû³ Àα⸦ ²ø¾ú½À´Ï´Ù. »§ ÀÚü´Â Æò¹üÇßÁö¸¸, ¾È¿¡ µé¾î ÀÖ´Â Æ÷ÄÏ¸ó ½ºÆ¼Ä¿°¡ ÁøÂ¥ ÀαâÀÇ ºñ°áÀ̾ú½À´Ï´Ù. »ç¶÷µéÀº ¾ÆÄ§ ÀÏÂï ÆíÀÇÁ¡À¸·Î ¸ô·Á°¬°í, »§Àº ¸î ½Ã°£ ¸¸¿¡ ¸ÅÁøµÇ°ï Çß½À´Ï´Ù.
¡ß ´Ü¾îÀå
collectible: ¼öÁýÇÒ ¸¸ÇÑ
attraction: ¸Å·Â, Àα⠿äÀÎ
rush to: ¼µÑ·¯ °¡´Ù
sell out: ¸ÅÁøµÇ´Ù
ordinary: Æò¹üÇÑ
Croffle
The croffle, a combination of croissant and waffle, also gained huge popularity in 2022. Bakeries and cafés served croffles topped with ice cream, fruits, or syrup, making them a favorite dessert among young people. Its mix of crispy texture and buttery flavor represented Korea¡¯s love for creative fusion desserts.
Å©·ÎÇÃÀº Å©·ç¾Æ»ó°ú ¿ÍÇÃÀ» °áÇÕÇÑ µðÀúÆ®·Î, 2022³â¿¡ Å©°Ô À¯ÇàÇß½À´Ï´Ù. Á¦°úÁ¡°ú Ä«Æä¿¡¼´Â Å©·ÎÇà À§¿¡ ¾ÆÀ̽ºÅ©¸², °úÀÏ, ½Ã·´ µîÀ» ¿Ã·Á ÆÇ¸ÅÇϸç ÀþÀº ÃþÀÇ »ç¶ûÀ» ¹Þ¾Ò½À´Ï´Ù. ¹Ù»èÇÑ ½Ä°¨°ú ¹öÅÍ Ç³¹Ì°¡ ¾î¿ì·¯Áø Å©·ÎÇÃÀº Çѱ¹ÀÎÀÇ Ã¢ÀÇÀûÀÎ Ç»Àü µðÀúÆ® »ç¶ûÀ» º¸¿©ÁÖ¾ú½À´Ï´Ù.
¡ß ´Ü¾îÀå
combination: Á¶ÇÕ
topped with: ~·Î µ¤ÀÎ
texture: ½Ä°¨
buttery: ¹öÅÍ Ç³¹ÌÀÇ
fusion dessert: Ç»Àü µðÀúÆ®