Kimchi in a can: South Korea’s Narichan launches new RTD drink to move beyond tradition and boost exports
Narichan’s specialisation in kimchi has thus far been focused on more traditional products such as fresh kimchi, canned kimchi, low-salt kimchi and kimchi powder.
But with the trend for RTD beverages taking off both in Korea and other markets, the firm believes that its RTD kimchi beverage brand Kimchi Me also has significant potential to grow in the beverages sector.
“Kimchi Me is squeezed kimchi juice that contains all the natural goodness of kimchi, containing no sugar and no gluten as it is made with just the fermentation of vegetables and some stevia,” Narichan Strategic Purchasing General Manager Heesu Moon told FoodNavigator-Asia.
“The major benefits of this kimchi juice are similar to eating kimchi, such as digestion and hangover relief, but just in a more convenient and easily accessible format.
“Kimchi juice in itself is a normal thing in South Korea, but what is unique here is the RTD canned format, as no one else has done this before.
“That said, it is actually a very unique and sometimes shocking concept for foreigners [which really piques their interest], which is why we believe that there is a good exports market to be established for this product.”
Kimchi Me has already made its first overseas foray into the United States’ H Mart, and Moon has now set his sights on South East Asian markets such as Malaysia and Thailand.
“Kimchi may be a very common dish in South Korea, but it is not always convenient for everyone to make their own,” he added.
“There are several convenient formats of kimchi in the market already such as kimchi chips which are really common now, but in terms of a kimchi drink that is easily accessible, we are the first.
“I chose to make this in an RTD canned format as it is the most convenient and in line with what consumers want from a kimchi drink – bottles tend to hold too much volume and heavier as well.”
This is not to say that bottles don’t have a place in the Kimchi Me portfolio – for the next phase of development and innovation, Moon will be upgrading the kimchi drink to an even more refreshing concept by introducing carbonation.
“In early 2025, one of our plans is to develop kimchi sodas in multiple flavours, and those will be sold in bottled format, also as an RTE kimchi beverage,” he said.
“We believe that this will attract an even wider group of interested consumers that are seeking out refreshing drink options that can give them the health and nutritional benefits they associate with a traditional product, but in a convenient format.”
Watch the video above to find out more.
