"I Understand How Italians Feel"... Reactions Pour In Over the Viral 'Pineapple Kimchi Stew' Overseas

K-Food Incorporates Local Food Cultures and Draws Attention
Gochujang-Based Desserts and Western Dishes Also Gaining Popularity

Unconventional recipes featuring Korean ingredients such as kimchi and gochujang have been appearing overseas, creating a buzz online.

As these new combinations, which merge local food cultures with Korean cuisine, are perceived by Koreans as unfamiliar or even shocking, various reactions have followed. However, some point out that the emergence of localized menu items is a natural phenomenon in the process of K-food spreading worldwide.

Recently, the recipe for "Pineapple Kimchi Jjigae" has been shared online, attracting attention.
Instagram capture by @nataaliajoy

"This Has Gone Too Far" vs. "Surprisingly, It Looks Tasty"... Mixed Reactions to Pineapple Kimchi Stew

Recently, the recipe for "pineapple kimchi stew" has been shared on social media, drawing attention.

This recipe was posted in Mexico. It involves boiling kimchi stew with pork and adding grilled pineapple. While this combination may seem unfamiliar to Koreans, the recipe was inspired by "al pastor," a popular Mexican dish. Al pastor is a type of taco featuring red-marinated pork served with pineapple, chopped onions, and cilantro, known for its spicy, tangy, and sweet flavors.

In Mexico, the combination of sweet fruit and spicy seasoning is also common. There is a food culture of eating fresh fruits like pineapple or mango topped with chili powder and lime.

Various reactions continued online regarding the pineapple kimchi stew. Instagram capture

Reactions from online users to pineapple kimchi stew have been varied. Some left comments such as "This has crossed the line" and "My mom told me not to mess with the food she eats," expressing discomfort with the unfamiliar combination. On the other hand, there were also many positive responses, such as "Surprisingly, I think it would taste good" and "The sour and sweet flavors would pair well together."

Some users compared it to "the kimchi stew version of Hawaiian pizza," with comments like "Now I know how Italians feel when they see Hawaiian pizza." This refers to the fact that American-style pizza topped with pineapple is widely disliked among Italians.

This is not the first time an unconventional kimchi stew recipe has made headlines. In Japan, kimchi stew cooked with an entire Camembert cheese has become popular on social media. In this recipe, a whole cheese is added and boiled in the soup, making it accessible even to Japanese people who are not accustomed to spicy food.

There are many videos on YouTube introducing recipes for gochujang cookies. YouTube screenshot

Gochujang in Cookies and Pizza... Infinite Transformations of Korean Ingredients

Attempts to incorporate Korean ingredients into local dishes are also ongoing in the United States and Europe. A notable example is "gochujang caramel cookies." After being featured by the New York Times, the recipe gained popularity through word of mouth. The gochujang cookie was even selected as one of the "50 Reader-Favorite Hit Recipes of 2024" by the New York Times. The recipe involves adding a sauce made from butter, brown sugar, and gochujang to the cookie dough, and has since been adapted for other desserts like brownies, further spreading the fusion trend.

Pizzas featuring gochujang have also appeared. A gochujang sauce, made by mixing gochujang, minced garlic, cheese, and honey into butter, has become popular. According to local broadcasts and Reddit, the largest online community in the U.S., reviews say, "It's great spread on pizza crust, and it also works well as a sauce for steak or pasta."

According to an industry insider, "In Western countries where rice is not a staple, there are more attempts to use kimchi or gochujang with familiar foods like burgers, pizza, fries, or cookies, rather than as side dishes." He added, "As Korean cuisine moves beyond being a passing trend to becoming mainstream, there is a growing tendency to consume Korean ingredients as part of everyday life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.