The press conference of the Western American Korean Cuisine Globalization Association was held in Los Angeles, USA. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
LOS ANGELES, April 11 (Korea Bizwire) — In a bustling Korean barbecue restaurant in Los Angeles, six local American customers recently wrapped grilled short ribs in perilla leaves with garlic and doenjang, the traditional soybean paste. For restaurant owner and Korean food advocate Lim Jong-taek, it was a moment of quiet triumph.
“I was so moved, I almost cried,” said Lim, who leads both the World Federation of Korean Food and the Korean Food Globalization Association of the Western U.S. “They were eating like we do back home. Even garlic—once avoided in Western cuisine—is now being embraced through Korean food.”
Speaking with reporters in LA, Lim shared how the global rise of Korean cuisine is reshaping local palates, even overcoming cultural resistance to pungent ingredients like garlic and fermented seafood. “Not long ago, a customer asked for real kimchi—not the mild version made for foreigners. That’s the change we’re seeing,” he said.
Demand is also surging for more traditional Korean side dishes, including perilla leaves, pickled vegetables, and fermented seafood like pollock roe (myeongranjeot), squid, octopus, and seasoned seaweed salads. But with rising ingredient and labor costs, Korean restaurants in the U.S. have struggled to keep up.
The kimchi-making workshops (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
In response, the Western U.S. Korean Food Globalization Association is initiating a new import program to bring Korean side dishes directly from Korea. This year marks the first time the group will import prepared side dishes—expanding on previous efforts focused solely on ingredients. The initial shipment, expected in June, will include 5 to 10 tons of traditional kimchi varieties, aged kimchi, vegetable pickles, and snacks like fried seaweed.
Lim noted that fermented foods and Korean condiments such as jang (soy-based sauces and pastes) are now some of the most sought-after items among American diners. “If we adjust salt levels and tailor them slightly to local tastes, I think they’ll become even more popular,” he said.
To promote these traditional flavors, the World Federation of Korean Food will host a jang-making workshop this June in Damyang, South Korea, at the Kisundo Master’s Education Center. Sixteen delegates from cities including LA, Toronto, London, Paris, and Beijing are scheduled to attend, following UNESCO’s 2024 designation of Korea’s jang-making tradition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In a further push to globalize Korean cuisine, the Federation will also host the Global Korean Food Culture Forum in Mokpo from October 21 to 23. Around 80 representatives from Korean restaurant associations in 17 countries are expected to participate, alongside local governments, the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, food exporters, and ingredient suppliers.
Lim emphasized that now—amid surging global interest fueled by K-pop, Korean dramas, and other cultural exports—is a pivotal moment. “We have a rare opportunity to take Korean cuisine mainstream around the world, but it won’t happen on its own,” he warned. “It requires consistent, government-backed support.”
Recalling early efforts in 2010, when he placed three billboard ads for Korean BBQ and bibimbap on LA freeways, Lim noted how far the cuisine has come: “Back then, people would call asking what those dishes were. Now they already know. But if we want to go further, we need investment and leadership—perhaps even a government task force under the Prime Minister, like in Japan or Thailand.”
Currently, Korea’s global culinary initiatives are overseen by the Korean Food Promotion Institute under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Lim hopes 2026, which is expected to bring a new administration, will also usher in greater support for the globalization of Korean cuisine.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
