"K-Ramen Instead of Pasta" ... Europe Push Shifts Into High Gear as High Prices Bite

K-food enters major retail chains such as Carrefour and Ocado
"Buldak Sauce" featured in French cuisine at the world's largest food fair

K-food is accelerating its push into the European market. As interest among Europeans in K-food and ingredients such as ramen, kimchi, and sauces grows, exports have risen sharply, making Europe a new growth engine after China and the United States.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on October 22, K-food exports to Europe from January through September this year totaled $728 million, up 23.5% from the same period a year earlier. That figure is approaching last year's annual exports of $770 million.

During the same period, exports to the United States totaled $1.499 billion. Although the figure was much higher than Europe's, the growth rate of 11% was lower. Exports to China, the largest market for K-food, rose 5.3% to $1.51 billion.

Europe applies some of the world's strictest regulations on allergens, additives, pesticide residues, animal welfare, and quarantine inspections for products such as poultry and seafood. However, exports of heat-treated poultry appear to have increased significantly since South Korea and the European Union (EU) concluded quarantine negotiations in 2023. South Korean food exports to Europe rose 25.9%, from $540 million in 2023 to $680 million in 2024. As K-food's global popularity spread to Europe and demand surged, the easing of quarantine restrictions further boosted exports.

Analysts also say Europe's high cost of living has contributed to demand for Korean food. Consumer prices in Europe have been climbing since the Iran war broke out in February, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.8% in September, its highest level since the war began. From 2023 through 2025, ramen was Europe's largest K-food export category, at $543 million. It was followed by beverages at $147 million and snacks at $86 million. Demand for ramen, a relatively inexpensive meal, has been by far the strongest.

For this reason, South Korean food companies also see Europe as a new growth engine for K-food after the United States and China. Entering Europe, where strict food regulations create high barriers, could serve as a key milestone that demonstrates a brand's standing and competitiveness in the global market, beyond simply expanding its sales territory. In particular, under the EU's single market arrangement covering 27 member states, companies can readily expand into other member states after establishing a successful presence in one country. This offers even greater potential for expansion, given that K-food exports have so far been concentrated in a few countries, including the United States, China, and Japan.

K-food enters major European retailers... and even builds factories

South Korean food companies have already moved beyond relying on Korean and Asian grocery stores and entered major European retail chains such as Carrefour, Tesco, and Aldi. Initially entering stores as Asian food products, they are now rapidly expanding into local retail channels with tailored strategies that reflect cultural characteristics and consumer trends.

CJ CheilJedang established a local subsidiary in 2018 and made a full-scale entry into the market by acquiring German frozen-food company Mainfrost. It now sells its Bibigo products through major retailers such as Carrefour in France, Ocado in the United Kingdom, and Globus in Germany, and across 27 European countries. To meet rapidly growing demand for dumplings in Europe and standardize production quality, CJ CheilJedang is building a new K-food factory for Europe near Budapest, Hungary, with construction underway since late 2024.

Nongshim established a European sales subsidiary in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in March 2025 and has since entered about 20 European countries. It is expanding its presence in mainstream local retail chains, including Tesco in the United Kingdom, REWE in Germany, Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, and Carrefour in France. Nongshim plans to boost sales of key products such as Shin Ramyun and introduce new products tailored to local tastes, aiming to increase its European revenue to around $300 million by 2030. To support this plan, it will operate an export-only factory in the Noksan National Industrial Complex in Gangseo-gu, Busan, which is scheduled for completion this month. The factory will initially operate three production lines, adding annual capacity for about 500 million packs of ramen.

Daesang has entered 35 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland. Its products are sold at major local supermarkets such as Carrefour and Auchan. In particular, as demand for kimchi in Europe continues to grow, Daesang established a joint venture, Daesang ChPN Europe, in 2022 with ChPN (Charsznickie Pola Natury), a Polish producer of fresh fermented vegetables. It is also pursuing plans to build a kimchi factory in Krakow, Poland, and aims to produce more than 3,000 tons of kimchi annually by 2030.

Opening new sales channels at food fairs... presenting French cuisine with kimchi

Food companies are actively targeting trade fairs and other events to increase engagement with buyers at local retail channels and with consumers. Major South Korean companies, including Nongshim, Samyang Foods, Samlip, and Binggrae, took part in SIAL Paris 2026, the world's largest food trade fair, held on October 21, showcasing their key brands and new products to European consumers.

During the fair, Nongshim opened a Shin Ramyun Bunsik pop-up store along the Seine in Paris, serving Shin Ramyun prepared in the style of Han River ramen to introduce Korean ramen culture to local consumers. Samyang Foods also created dedicated brand spaces for Buldak Bokkeum Myeon and Tangle. Samlip focused on Samlip Hoppang to attract overseas buyers and local consumers. Binggrae introduced its flagship Banana Flavored Milk to the European market for the first time.

The Korea Food Industry Association held a culinary event, The Korean Pantry, in partnership with La Liste, a global culinary rating organization. Six South Korean food companies took part, presenting special dishes that reinterpreted their signature products using French cooking techniques. The menu included kimchi gazpacho made with Sempio Foods' Yeondu and Pulmuone's kimchi; a noodle dish combining Ourhome's Haenam seaweed pesto, Sempio Foods' perilla oil, and Pulmuone's tofu noodles; and a salad tart featuring Samyang Foods' Buldak sauce and Pulmuone's tofu tenders.

An industry official said, "Europe has long been considered a difficult market for South Korean food companies to enter because export requirements, including country-specific labeling rules and food customs procedures, are stringent. With the spread of the Korean Wave, interest in K-food among Millennials & Gen Z has recently translated into actual purchases, making Europe an increasingly attractive export market for South Korean food companies."

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