[Korean Culture & Language] Say Cheese

Hello, this is Uptempo Marketers!


Koreans might say “김치” (kimchi) when posing for pictures but cheese, or 치즈, is just as beloved as the spicy, fermented staple. 


The popularity of cheese can be traced back to the early 1950s when the U.S. army left behind rations such as cheese, spam, and hotdogs, after the Korean War ended. These foods then infiltrated Korean cuisine and thus, the cheese revolution began.


First there was 부대찌개 (budae-jjigae, army stew), a mishmash of spam, ramen noodles, kimchi cooked as a spicy stew and garnished with slices of American cheese that melt into the broth as you dig in. Then in the late 1960s, a Belgian monk missionary arrived in 임실 (Imsil), a county in the northern 전라 (Jeolla) region, and began making cheese with the milk of the goats he raised. Before he knew it, his small cheese factory became a corporation now known as 임실 치즈 (Imsil Cheese). Today, 임실 치즈 boasts over 70 commercial brands and cheese enthusiasts can participate in cheese-making classes at the 임실 치즈 마을 (mah-eul, village) or make their way through a cheese-themed paintball course at the 임실 치즈 테마파크 (tae-mah-park, theme park) and stay at lodgings named the “Cheese Pension.” 


As of 2018, South Korea’s per capita consumption of cheese was 2.5 kilograms, which apparently was double that of just a decade before, and as of 2015, South Korea was the world’s fifth largest cheese importer. These statistics come at no surprise considering the wide variety of prepared foods that one can order at restaurants and add cheese as an extra topping. These foods include but are not limited to: cheese 떡볶이 (ddukboki), a spicy rice cake dish, spicy cheese 등갈비 (deung-galbi, ribs), and cheese on 김치 볶음밥 (kimchi bok-uhm-bab, kimchi fried rice). 


You might notice that the common factor among all these dishes is the spiciness, and that’s not a coincidence. Adding cheese to fiery red pepper spice soothes the palate and for Koreans who are prone to lactose intolerance, as many Asians are, cheese is more tolerable than milk. 


Instant foods that feature cheese are also widely popular and readily available at Korean grocery stores. As a follow up to the acclaimed 불닭면 (bul-dahk-myun, fire chicken noodles or buldak ramen) a cheese 불닭면 was released, along with many other copycat brands. 


So, the next time you cook instant ramen, try adding a slice or two of cheese on top! You might find that it’s just what your taste buds need.


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