The Korean food market in Iran
The premiere of “A Jewel in the Palace,” an intriguing series about a female chef who later became a royal physician, sparked a surge in acceptance of Korean programs. As a result, Korean dramas began to dominate Iranian television programming. In spite of the fact that “Jumong” has already been broadcast several times, a significant number of viewers continue to watch it. However, Korean pop culture has an impact outside the realm of television. Like teens everywhere else, teens in Iran have been listening to and supporting BTS for years.
In recent years, Korean pop and drama have seen a meteoric rise in popularity among Iranian social media users. Many individuals have developed an interest in Korean cuisine, traditions, and rituals as a direct result of the popularity of Korean dramas and music. Meanwhile, some of the most-liked Korean foods on Instagram include noodles, kimchi, mochi, and enoki mushroom. Iranians are becoming more interested in Korean cuisine, thanks partly to Korean mokbangs, Korean television shows, and Korean anime. On Instagram, the Farsi hashtag for Korean Mokbang contains roughly 24,000 photographs and videos. There have been almost 254,000 postings on Instagram with the hashtag “Korean drama.” What follows is an exploration of Korean restaurants in Iran and the Korean specialties that are most popular among Iranian diners.
Noodle
As a basic, popular, and inexpensive meal option, noodles are widely consumed in Iran. The Korean company “Samyang” products are more widely available in cybermarkets than any other foreign manufacturer. Some Korean noodle shops are discussed below.
Different flavors of Korean noodles are sold in Iran. These noodles cost between $1 and $2.
Moreover, Instagram is home to a lot of noodle-focused shops. For instance, the one of the Korean Noodle pages sells noodles, kimchi, tteokbokki, and jjajangmyeon and provides culinary lessons.
BTS and Korean food
Another well-known page with the name meaning “Shin Ramyun” began selling Korean noodles and kimchi. It has now expanded its offerings to include Korean snacks. Among the posts are other products tied to the BTS group, such as a video announcing the release of BTS gum and a unique bowl of noodles with the BTS logo. Also, in this shop, for $12, you can get the store’s “Seoul Pack,” a collection of the best-known Korean foods.
One of the most common challenges among Iranian food bloggers is to eat the world’s hottest noodles. This movie from a food blogger shows a sample of the testing of this noodle and then promotes a shop fo noodles, bubble tea, kimchi, mochi, Tteok-bokki, and Korean beauty goods are just some items you may get at this shop, an East Asian specialty store. Tteok-bokki has a devoted following and can be purchased from different shops.
There’s also an Instagrammer who likes Korean dramas and K-pop and has posted several recipes for preparing noodles in various styles.
All videos are muted due to copyright laws
All videos are muted due to copyright laws
Kimchi
Pickles are a staple on every Iranian dinner table. Recent years have seen a rise in the popularity of kimchi-making videos from Korea, similar to the popularity of Iranian pickle-making videos. This pickle is available both fresh and in jars, in addition to instructional tutorials and Korean food recipe.
It costs $3 for a can of kimchi that can be purchased from online retailers. Other e-commerce websites also sell this homemade Korean pickle. Kimchi, made under the “Kimchira” brand name, is overseen by a Korean specialist. It is available for purchase both retail and wholesale. Kimchira operates two storefronts in Tehran’s Niavaran and Tajrish and conducts business online.
Other online stores, also make and sell them in 500-gram and 1-kilo packages.
Confections and snacks
The online shops that we looked at provide a wide variety of sweets and snacks among Korean food. One of the most well-known brands of Korean coffee is “Maxim” coffee powder. For $3, you can purchase five individual servings of this coffee.
In addition, “Algae Chips,” a product needed in making kimbap, may be purchased for $1.50. Kimbap is another favorite among those who enjoy Korean cuisine.
Product Videos
All videos are muted due to copyright laws
Specialty shop for Korean goods
There is also an online shop selling authentic Korean goods, including CDs, T-shirts, and snacks. This shop also sells “BTS Vanilla Latte Coffee” on its online shopping cart. You can now get one of these 270-ml bottles for $2.50. “Imagine waiting for four months for the coffee to come,” one commenter said. Because of the lengthy process of importing goods into Iran, the client receives their order three months after placing it. In addition, many have posted concerns about the goods going bad en route to Iran and the several tastes available in the comments section.
Future of Korean food in Iran
With the ever-increasing spread of Korean culture to the world through music and movies, Korean food is expected to attract more and more people. Also, Korean food recipes are often easy and do not take much time to prepare, making them increasingly popular in today’s fast-paced life. Many of these dishes have global popularity and are served in many other countries as well. Of course, Korean dishes are not limited to these things, but somehow, the dishes mentioned here are more popular among Iranians.
Due to the conditions of the country and to support domestic production, since 2017, the entry of unnecessary and luxury items into Iran has been banned. Due to this, the products we reviewed in this report are currently on the list of prohibited imported goods, and most of the goods sold in these stores were imported by passengers. Considering the interest of Iranian in Korean food, we hope that in the future, with the improvement of the conditions, it will be possible to import these products.
Utilizing the optimal distribution system in the FMCG industry leads to easier consumer access to such goods. In this regard, Keinia Industrial Group, which is active in the FMCG distribution field, tries to be aware of customers’ needs and adapt its products to their needs. Mahan Pakhsh Zarrin Shomal Company, as the distribution company of Keinia Group, is currently able to import and provide product distribution services throughout Iran. Please contact the company’s central office for more information on the terms of cooperation in the import and distribution of Korean food in Iran by Mahan Pakhsh Zarrin Shomal Company.
