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The Star
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
From bingsu to sashimi, popularity of cup foods going strong in South Korea
SEOUL: With the seasons changing, a new 'bingsu in a cup' trend is gaining popularity among young Koreans gearing up to survive the infamously humid and hot summer. Offered mostly by low-priced coffee joints like Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee and Ediya Coffee, the novelty dish packs all the regular features of the snack in a plastic cup usually used for drinks: frozen milk or cream, sweetened red beans, bite-sized rice cakes, syrup of your choosing, and of course, the chunk of shaved ice that makes it one of the most popular summertime snacks here. Cup bingsu is just the latest in a long line of popular snacks and meals to be packaged in a cup. What may sound like a 'Wall-E'-type dystopian nightmare on paper is actually quite an enjoyable and affordable form of food in South Korea, expanding its scope from the time-proven cup noodles to cup bap (rice), cup tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and apparently just about anything within the palm of your hands. Bingsu is rarely considered a dish for one because of its price and size. Sulbing, one of the most popular local bingju joints, offers its most basic Injeolmi Bingsu (bingsu with bean powder-coated rice cake) at 9,900 won (US$7.17). Served in a large bowl, it is an optimal snack to share with a friend. But the price tag for cup bingsu is usually in the 4,000-won range, rarely going above 6,300 won. This makes it an ideal snack to enjoy by yourself. The affordability of a dish for one has been the main appeal of cup foods here since the grandfather of modern-day cup meals, cup ramen, was first introduced in Japan. Momofuku Ando, a Taiwanese-Japanese man who made and lost his fortune in World War II, famously invented instant ramen and packaged it in a cup - known as Cup Noodles - to appeal to the international market. In 1972, Korean food and beverage company Samyang Foods launched the first localised version of Cup Noodles here, and it rapidly garnered popularity in ensuing decades, particularly with the introduction of convenience store franchises in the mid-1990s. Another popular cup dish is cup bab, a cupped version of rice with toppings that was born as a street food in Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu of Seoul. Noryanjin in the 2000s enjoyed its heyday as a Mecca for aspiring civil servants, with countless private academies offering courses for the government service entrance exam. The cram school students sought dishes that were cheap and quick, which was addressed by street vendors selling cup bab. With rice being the main source of carbohydrates for Koreans, cup bab sold at around 2,000 won and was a welcome change from the cheap sandwiches and hamburgers that had fed them before. Cup-bab vendors in Noryangjin today are not nearly as prominent as before, but the once-popular dish has found its way to convenience stores in their stead. Cup bab is now sold inside cup-shaped wrapped containers, which can be stored longer and heated instantaneously for eating. Some consider the new form of cup bab a hit or miss, as the dried-up toppings and its new price tag are hardly an exact recreation of the once wildly popular dish. Around the same time adult students were having cup bab, their younger counterparts were filling their bellies with cup tteokbokki. Eateries and street vendors started selling the popular snack in small portions to children with limited pocket money, but it has since found its way into official menus. Perhaps the most unusual cup food is none other than sushi, such as the 'cold sashimi soup with beef tartare' offered by a local franchise. The small portion dish is a limited-time offer only for the summer, although affordability hardly factors in for a 13,900-won meal. The Styrofoam containers that cup foods are often packaged in have fuelled a widespread urban legend that pouring steaming hot water could release harmful substances. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021 debunked this belief in 2021, experimenting on 49 types of disposable containers using polystyrene products to see if applying heat would lead to such results. Though a small amount of styrene was detected in eight containers, it was deemed too low an amount to impact human health. The only issue the ministry found with the containers is that they could break when heated. While the containers may not be harmful, there have been several studies indicating that cup foods do not provide balanced nutrition. In 2020, researchers from the Korea Consumer Agency analysed cup bab provided by 13 major food and beverage companies, which showed that they had much higher sodium levels compared to the total calories. Specifically, each cup bab on average provided about 21.7 per cent of the recommended daily calorie intake — which the research said was about 2,000 calories — but 50.3 per cent of the recommended daily sodium intake of 2,000 milligrams. As in the case of the study by the Food and Drug Safety Ministry, no significant level of harmful substances was detected in the containers. Cup bingsu is high in sugar, with one serving provided by Mega Coffee having 86g of sugar per cup. The World Health Organisation recommends that sugar intake be no more than ten per cent of one's energy intake, or about 50g daily. Tteokbokki and instant noodles are not considered healthy foods, as they consist mostly of carbohydrates while having an excessively large amount of sodium compared to their general calories. As such, it is recommended that one should not regard cup foods as their main energy intake and balance their diet with nutrient-rich foods. The KSA study concluded by saying that one should not eat cup bab with other salty foods like cup ramen, and advised people to eat food with sufficient potassium to help release the excess sodium. - The Korea Herald/ANN
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
From bingsu to sashimi, popularity of cup foods going strong in South Korea
The trending "bingsu in a cup" comes with frozen milk, sweetened red beans, rice cakes, syrup and a chunk of shaved ice. PHOTO: THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK From bingsu to sashimi, popularity of cup foods going strong in South Korea With the seasons changing, a new 'bingsu in a cup' trend is gaining popularity among young Koreans gearing up to survive the infamously humid and hot summer. Offered mostly by low-priced coffee joints like Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee and Ediya Coffee, the novelty dish packs all the regular features of the snack in a plastic cup usually used for drinks: frozen milk or cream, sweetened red beans, bite-sized rice cakes, syrup of your choosing, and of course, the chunk of shaved ice that makes it one of the most popular summertime snacks here. Cup bingsu is just the latest in a long line of popular snacks and meals to be packaged in a cup. What may sound like a 'Wall-E'-type dystopian nightmare on paper is actually quite an enjoyable and affordable form of fo od in South Korea , expanding its scope from the time-proven cup noodles to cup bap (rice), cup tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and apparently just about anything within the palm of your hands. Low-price and accessibility Bingsu is rarely considered a dish for one because of its price and size. Sulbing, one of the most popular local bingju joints, offers its most basic Injeolmi Bingsu (bingsu with bean powder-coated rice cake) at 9,900 won (S$9.20). Served in a large bowl, it is an optimal snack to share with a friend. But the price tag for cup bingsu is usually in the 4,000-won range, rarely going above 6,300 won. This makes it an ideal snack to enjoy by yourself. The affordability of a dish for one has been the main appeal of cup foods here since the grandfather of modern-day cup meals, cup ramen, was first introduced in Japan. Momofuku Ando, a Taiwanese-Japanese man who made and lost his fortune in World War II, famously invented instant ramen and packaged it in a cup - known as Cup Noodles - to appeal to the international market. In 1972, Korean food and beverage company Samyang Foods launched the first localised version of Cup Noodles here, and it rapidly garnered popularity in ensuing decades, particularly with the introduction of convenience store franchises in the mid-1990s. Another popular cup dish is cup bab, a cupped version of rice with toppings that was born as a street food in Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu of Seoul. Noryanjin in the 2000s enjoyed its heyday as a Mecca for aspiring civil servants, with countless private academies offering courses for the government service entrance exam. The cram school students sought dishes that were cheap and quick, which was addressed by street vendors selling cup bab. With rice being the main source of carbohydrates for Koreans, cup bab sold at around 2,000 won and was a welcome change from the cheap sandwiches and hamburgers that had fed them before. Cup-bab vendors in Noryangjin today are not nearly as prominent as before, but the once-popular dish has found its way to convenience stores in their stead. Cup bab is now sold inside cup-shaped wrapped containers, which can be stored longer and heated instantaneously for eating. Some consider the new form of cup bab a hit or miss, as the dried-up toppings and its new price tag are hardly an exact recreation of the once wildly popular dish. Around the same time adult students were having cup bab, their younger counterparts were filling their bellies with cup tteokbokki. Eateries and street vendors started selling the popular snack in small portions to children with limited pocket money, but it has since found its way into official menus. Perhaps the most unusual cup food is none other than sushi, such as the 'cold sashimi soup with beef tartare' offered by a local franchise. The small portion dish is a limited-time offer only for the summer, although affordability hardly factors in for a 13,900-won meal. Health issues? The Styrofoam containers that cup foods are often packaged in have fuelled a widespread urban legend that pouring steaming hot water could release harmful substances. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021 debunked this belief in 2021, experimenting on 49 types of disposable containers using polystyrene products to see if applying heat would lead to such results. Though a small amount of styrene was detected in eight containers, it was deemed too low an amount to impact human health. The only issue the ministry found with the containers is that they could break when heated. While the containers may not be harmful, there have been several studies indicating that cup foods do not provide balanced nutrition. In 2020, researchers from the Korea Consumer Agency analysed cup bab provided by 13 major food and beverage companies, which showed that they had much higher sodium levels compared to the total calories. Specifically, each cup bab on average provided about 21.7 per cent of the recommended daily calorie intake — which the research said was about 2,000 calories — but 50.3 per cent of the recommended daily sodium intake of 2,000 milligrams. As in the case of the study by the Food and Drug Safety Ministry, no significant level of harmful substances was detected in the containers. Cup bingsu is high in sugar, with one serving provided by Mega Coffee having 86g of sugar per cup. The World Health Organization recommends that sugar intake be no more than 10 per cent of one's energy intake, or about 50g daily. Tteokbokki and instant noodles are not considered healthy foods, as they consist mostly of carbohydrates while having an excessively large amount of sodium compared to their general calories. As such, it is recommended that one should not regard cup foods as their main energy intake and balance their diet with nutrient-rich foods. The KSA study concluded by saying that one should not eat cup bab with other salty foods like cup ramen, and advised people to eat food with sufficient potassium to help release the excess sodium. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
What you want is what you get … in a cup
From bingsu to noodles, to even sashimi, popularity of delicacies in tiny containers going strong in Korea With the seasons changing, a new "bingsu in a cup" trend is gaining popularity among young Koreans gearing up to survive the infamously humid and hot summer. Offered mostly by low-priced coffee joints like Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee and Ediya Coffee, the novelty dish packs all the regular features of the snack in a plastic cup usually used for drinks: frozen milk or cream, sweetened red beans, bite-sized rice cakes, syrup of your choosing, and of course, the chunk of shaved ice that makes it one of the most popular summertime snacks here. Cup bingsu is just the latest in a long line of popular snacks and meals to be packaged in a cup. What may sound like a "Wall-E"-type dystopian nightmare on paper is actually quite an enjoyable and affordable form of food here, expanding its scope from the time-proven cup noodles to cup bap (rice), cup tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and apparently just about anything within the palm of your hands. Low-price and accessibility Bingsu is rarely considered a dish for one because of its price and size. Sulbing, one of the most popular local bingju joints, offers its most basic Injeolmi Bingsu (bingsu with bean powder-coated rice cake) at 9,900 won ($7.2). Served in a large bowl, it is an optimal snack to share with a friend. But the price tag for cup bingsu is usually in the 4,000-won ($2.90) range, rarely going above 6,300 won. This makes it an ideal snack to enjoy by yourself. The affordability of a dish for one has been the main appeal of cup foods here since the grandfather of modern-day cup meals, cup ramen, was first introduced in Japan. Momofuku Ando, a Taiwanese-Japanese man who made and lost his fortune in World War II, famously invented instant ramen and packaged it in a cup — known as Cup Noodles — to appeal to the international market. In 1972, Korean food and beverage company Samyang Foods launched the first localized version of Cup Noodles here, and it rapidly garnered popularity in ensuing decades, particularly with the introduction of convenience store franchises in the mid-1990s. Another popular cup dish is cup bab, a cupped version of rice with toppings that was born as a street food in Noryangjin-dong, Dongjak-gu of Seoul. Noryanjin in the 2000s enjoyed its heyday as a mecca for aspiring civil servants, with countless private academies offering courses for the government service entrance exam. The cram school students sought dishes that were cheap and quick, which was addressed by street vendors selling cup bab. With rice being the main source of carbohydrates for Koreans, cup bab sold at around 2,000 won and was a welcome change from the cheap sandwiches and hamburgers that had fed them before. Cup-bab vendors in Noryangjin today are not nearly as prominent as before, but the once-popular dish has found its way to convenience stores in their stead. Cup bab is now sold inside cup-shaped wrapped containers, which can be stored longer and heated instantaneously for eating. Some consider the new form of cup bab a hit or miss, as the dried-up toppings and its new price tag are hardly an exact recreation of the once wildly popular dish. Around the same time adult students were having cup bab, their younger counterparts were filling their bellies with cup tteokbokki. Eateries and street vendors started selling the popular snack in small portions to children with limited pocket money, but it has since found its way into official menus. Perhaps the most unusual cup food is none other than sushi, such as the "cold sashimi soup with beef tartare" offered by a local franchise. The small portion dish is a limited-time offer only for the summer, although affordability hardly factors in for a 13,900-won meal. Health issues? The Styrofoam containers that cup foods are often packaged in have fueled a widespread urban legend that pouring steaming hot water could release harmful substances. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021 debunked this belief in 2021, experimenting on 49 types of disposable containers using polystyrene products to see if applying heat would lead to such results. Though a small amount of styrene was detected in eight containers, it was deemed too low an amount to impact human health. The only issue the ministry found with the containers is that they could break when heated. While the containers may not be harmful, there have been several studies indicating that cup foods do not provide balanced nutrition. In 2020, researchers from the Korea Consumer Agency analyzed cup bab provided by 13 major food and beverage companies, which showed that they had much higher sodium levels compared to the total calories. Specifically, each cup bab on average provided about 21.7 percent of the recommended daily calorie intake — which the research said was about 2,000 calories — but 50.3 percent of the recommended daily sodium intake of 2,000 milligrams. As in the case of the study by the Food and Drug Safety Ministry, no significant level of harmful substances was detected in the containers. Cup bingsu is high in sugar, with one serving provided by Mega Coffee having 86 grams of sugar per cup. The World Health Organization recommends that sugar intake be no more than 10 percent of one's energy intake, or about 50 grams daily. Tteokbokki and instant noodles are not considered healthy foods, as they consist mostly of carbohydrates while having an excessively large amount of sodium compared to their general calories. As such, it is recommended that one should not regard cup foods as their main energy intake and balance their diet with nutrient-rich foods. The KSA study concluded by saying that one should not eat cup bab with other salty foods like cup ramen, and advised people to eat food with sufficient potassium to help release the excess sodium.
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Teen spending in Korea hits W1.75m in 2024 -- see what topped the list
Convenience stores top teen spending spots, followed by school shops and restaurants South Korean teenagers spent an average total of 1.75 million won ($1,200) last year, marking a significant increase in youth consumption, according to data released by NH NongHyup Bank. The figure translates to roughly 150,000 won per month, up 30 percent from 2020. The analysis was based on the bank's financial data collected from its teenage customers. Teenagers made an average of 262 card transactions in 2024, with debit cards rising as the most common method of payment among young consumers. The proportion of students using their cards more than twice a day jumped from 18 percent in 2020 to 29 percent last year, the bank noted. Debit card usage among elementary and middle school students saw an uptick in March, coinciding with the start of the school year. For high school students, spending peaked in December, which is a trend the bank attributed to post university entracne exam celebrations. While convenience stores, in-school supermarkets and restaurants remained the top spending destinations for both boys and girls, there were also notable gender-based spending patterns, according to the bank. Male students visited internet cafes, called "PC bang" here, an average of 16 times per year, while female students went to coffee shops about 17 times annually. Coffee purchases also peaked between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., shortly after school hours. Mega Coffee, known for its budget-friendly offerings, was the most frequented cafe chain among students, making up 18 percent of total cafe transactions. Compose Coffee and Paik's Coffee followed closely, indicating teenagers' preference for affordable coffee options. Despite the rise in spending, teenagers appear to be saving more as well. NH NongHyup Bank reported a 6 percent on-year increase in deposit account balances among its teen customers.
Korea Herald
16-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Low-cost, high-margin: How Mega Coffee is outperforming Starbucks Korea
As network expansion slows, sustained growth will hinge on franchise management and ingredient sales Budget coffee chains are proving there's still room to thrive in South Korea, however saturated the local market may be. Taking the lead is Mega Coffee, now the front-runner in both sales and store count. Last year, Ann House, the parent company of Mega MGC Coffee, recorded 495.9 billion won ($350 million) in sales, up 34.6 percent from the previous year, while operating profit surged 55.2 percent to 107.6 billion won. Its operating profit margin stood at 21.7 percent -- higher than 18.8 percent in 2023 and 17.6 percent in 2022. The figure is well above Starbucks Korea's 6.2 percent margin, despite the latter's far greater sales of 3.1 trillion won and operating profit of 190.8 billion won. Behind the brisk sales of its 1,500-won Americano lies a business model that drives much of its profitability. While Starbucks operates more than 2,000 stores under direct corporate management, Mega Coffee has adopted a franchise model -- of its 3,500 locations across the country as of February, fewer than 20 are company-owned. For one, Mega Coffee generates a stream of revenue by supplying franchisees with coffee-related equipment and ingredients such as beans and syrups at a markup. Product sales to franchise stores surged to 467.2 billion won last year, an increase of more than 120 billion won, or 34 percent, compared to the previous year. As the cost of goods sold rose by only 62.6 billion won over the same period, the company was able to widen its profit margin. Citing rising global coffee bean prices and a weakening won, Mega Coffee announced it will raise prices on several menu items, including its hot Americano, by 200 won to 1,700 won starting April 21. Its franchise-centric model has also shielded it from the financial burdens of labor and real estate costs incurred during large-scale expansion. Mega Coffee spent 34 billion won last year on fixed costs such as labor and rent, accounting for just 9 percent of its total expenses. Beyond ingredient sales, the company brings in additional revenue from franchise fees, training costs and royalties. According to industry insiders, these revenue streams tend to grow in tandem with a widening store network. 'Such payments can, in fact, drive a rapid increase in operating profits during periods of widespread expansion,' said one industry official. Data from the Fair Trade Commission shows that the number of Mega Coffee locations surged from 1,603 in 2021 to 2,173 in 2022 and 2,709 in 2023, reaching 3,500 early this year. Mega Coffee has been raising the overall expenses associated with running a franchise store. For instance, from 2023 to 2024, it increased the franchise fee by 1.2 million won to 10 million won, and the training fee by 600,000 won to 5 million won. When it comes to marketing expenses, the head office splits the cost equally with franchisees to promote the brand. In 2022, however, the company courted controversy when some franchisees expressed discontent over its decision to name Korean soccer star Son Heung-min as brand ambassador and require them to split a 6 billion won advertising cost with headquarters. The company defended the move, stating it had obtained the necessary consent from over 50 percent of its franchisees under relevant laws and proceeded in their interest. In the years ahead, with explosive network growth losing steam, effective franchise management will be the engine of sustained success, according to industry insiders. 'As the company scales, it becomes more critical for headquarters to sharpen the brand's competitive edge to keep franchisees committed and maintain its store count,' said the industry official. 'Equally important is ensuring consistent quality across all outlets, as disparities may lead to customer dissatisfaction.' In the end, the company will need to rely on steady revenue from ingredient sales to its franchisees, the official added.
