KOREAN cuisine is flying off the shelves at UK supermarkets

KOREAN cuisine is flying off the shelves at UK supermarkets as shoppers choose 'novelty' food over traditional dishes (but don't worry dog meat isn't on the menu)

• Korean food challenging more established Asian food favourites in Britain
• Sales SOJU spirit have increased by 42 per cent at Waitrose supermarkets
• Chinese cabbage, tofu and sesame seeds also flying off shelves, retailer says
• South Korea expected to be one of top food retailers in the world by 2030
  

By Julian Robinson

Published: 14:22 GMT, 26 April 2014 | Daily Mail

• It is the latest Far Eastern food craze that is beginning to take Britain by storm.
  

After Indian curry became a national favourite and with French, Italian and Japanese cuisine already fixtures on many a food lovers’ wish list, now Korean food is emerging as a force to be reckoned with.

South Korean cuisine now appears to be a hit among the middle classes looking for 'novelty' foods after Waitrose reported a rise in sales of some of the key ingredients and exports.

But while some exotic dishes are flying off the shelves, traditional Korean dishes such as Gaegogi - which is made with dog meat - certainly won't be on sale any time soon.

Ingredients used in Korean dishes, such as the ones pictured, are beginning to climb sharply according to Waitrose

Waitrose has seen a 42 per cent increase in sales of the distilled grain spirit, SOJU

The supermarket has seen sales of the 'burned liquor' SOJU rocket by more than 40 per cent.

It may have received a helping hand from the South Korean rapper Psy, who has described it as his 'best friend'.

The sales boost comes amid estimations that South Korea could become one of the world's top ten exporters of food by 2030.

 

The executive chef at Waitrose, Jonathan Moor, told The Times: ‘It's got what I refer to as sweet, salty, sour, bitter notes that you're used to with Vietnamese and Chinese food.

‘It's very light, unlike in some Thai dishes where you can have a lot of coconut cream.’

South Korea make Kimchi, a traditional Korean side-dish. South Korean is set to become one of the world's top ten food retailers by 2030

Diners tuck into a barbeque-style Korean feast. The cuisine is fast becoming a fixture among British food lovers

And comparing Korean food to Tapas, he added: ‘Where tapas landed quite a number of years ago, now people seem to be feeling comfortable with dishes out of other cuisines. This whole sharing way of eating is very Korean.’

Sales of the components for one of Korea's most famous dishes, Kimchi are also climbing at the up market retailer.

The likes of Chinese cabbage, sesame seeds and tofu are beginning to fly off the shelf as shoppers look for fresh culinary inspiration.

Meanwhile, there has been no let up from Waitrose shoppers in their quest for other established Asian foods.

More than 40 tonnes of Thai basil were snapped up last year while one million sticks of lemongrass were also purchased.

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