Temperatures are up and so are cold noodle dish sales

As spring arrives and the temperatures rise, food companies are entering the competition for the bibimmyeon (cold spicy noodle) market. The dish is a popular choice for domestic customers, especially during summer — and it’s one of the main...

Modles pose for the photo to promote Nongshim's bibimmyeon brand Baehongdong Jjoljjolmyun. [NONGSHIM]

As spring arrives and the temperatures rise, food companies are entering the competition for the bibimmyeon (cold spicy noodle) market.

The dish is a popular choice for domestic customers, especially during summer — and it’s one of the main products for food companies to increase sales. They’re pushing to release new bibimmyeon offerings and promote them with celebrities.

Nongshim’s Baehongdong Jjoljjolmyun, released in February, recorded sales of 4.5 billion won ($3.4 million) through Monday.

The latest product is a type of jjolmyeon, which is a chewy, spicey noodle dish in chilled red pepper sauce.

Nongshim explained that the combined sales of its two Baehongdong brands, jjoljjolmyun and bibimmyeon, jumped 75 percent compared to the same period before to a record 10 billion won this year.

“As outdoor temperatures rise, consumers seek out cold bibimmyeon rather than hot noodles in soup,” said a Nongshim spokesperson. “Sales of bibimmyeon starts to rise between March and April and reaches its peak during the peak of hot summer time, in July and August.

Nongshim's Baehongdong brand Baehongdong Jjoljjolmyun [NONGSHIM]

“We plan to actively promote our Baehongdong brand as the weather grows warmer in April with food trucks at festivals, hotel resorts and pro baseball games so that people can try out our products.”

Samyang released Four Fruits Bibimmyun earlier this month, distinguished by liquefied sauce in a mixture of gochujang (hot pepper paste) and four types of fruits — apple, plum, pear and pineapple.

“Our iconic seasonal product, Yeolmu Bibimmyun, started production as well, and we plan to enter the bibimmyeon market with our two products,” a Samyang spokesperson said.

Harim, known for its Yonggary chicken nugget brand, is a relative latecomer to the market as it released its first bibimmyeon brand, The Misik Bibimmyeon, last month. Its secret recipe lies in the sauce, which combined 10 kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Samyang's Four Fruits Bibimmyun [SAMYANG]

The company said that its food developers traveled nationwide to popular bibimmyeon restaurants to taste and study the spiciness level, sweetness, salinity and noodle elasticity to come up with the perfect recipe. Harim Chairman Kim Hong-kuk participated in taste tests in person to offer advice on product development.

With the launch of new products, companies are also busy recruiting celebrities as promotional ambassadors. Nongshim has employed entertainer Yu Jae-seok to promote its Baehongdong brand for three consecutive years.

Harim uses “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae. Paldo, which has the largest market share of domestic bibimmyeon market with Paldo Bibimmyeon, promotes the brand with singer and actor Lee Jun-ho, while Ottogi’s Jin Bibimmyeon features singer Hwasa of girl group Mamamoo.

To increase price competitiveness, Ottogi is reducing its price of Jinjja Jjolmyeon sold in convenience stores by 10.5 percent to 1,700 won per package.

Actor Lee Jung-jae promotes Harim's The Misik Bibimmyeon. [HARIM]

The competition for the bibimmyeon market grows more fierce because the market scale is growing at a fast pace, compared to stagnant instant noodle market, where sales have been stuck at 2 trillion won for the last decade.

Singer and actor Lee Jun-ho promotes Paldo Bibimmyeon. [PALDO]

The domestic bibimmyeon market has skyrocketed to 150 billion won from 2015’s 7.5 billion won, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. The industry forecasts that the market scale will grow to 180 billion won this year.

BY BAEK IL-HYUN [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]