On the afternoon of the 24th, in the culinary science room at the Nongshim Doyeon Hall in Dongjak District, Seoul, a researcher dressed in a neat cooking uniform prepared various ingredients along with Nongshim's "Chapagetti万能소스" product and heated up the induction stove. The rice was sautéed with finely chopped onions, garlic, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms in a hot pan along with butter. After that, heavy cream was poured into the pan and two tablespoons of "Chapagetti万能소스" were added, and after stirring several times, a risotto with a subtle brown color was completed. Upon tasting, the flavor of the black bean sauce was preserved while a balance of sweetness, saltiness, and umami was adequately felt.
A Nongshim representative who assisted with the demonstration noted, "The 'Chapagetti万能소스' was developed with the goal of preserving the flavors of the existing ramen powder sauce while balancing the taste to be versatile for various dishes. It is not only intended for making black bean noodles but can also be used like oyster sauce, conveniently utilized in making dishes such as steamed chicken, rice cakes, and braised tofu without needing any other seasonings."
The domestic food industry is designating "sauce" as a new growth engine and is expanding related product lines to enter the market. The sauce market has high entry barriers, but as a result, the lead time effect is significant, making continued consumption likely. Furthermore, sauces are seen to have high growth potential as they can be expanded into B2B (business-to-business) transactions.
Nongshim is implementing a strategy of launching sauces made from its popular products. The introduction of the 'Baehongdong万能소스' came after the success of its 'Baehongdong Bibim Noodles' product in 2021. This sauce has a higher viscosity than the existing Baehongdong Bibim Noodles sauce to allow for use in various dishes, adding spicy flavor as well.
Subsequently, Nongshim expanded its product line by launching the Chapagetti万能소스 in 2023 and the Meoktae Cheongyang Mayo万能소스 in 2024. The Meoktae Cheongyang Mayo万能소스 was transformed from Nongshim's popular snack 'Meoktae Kkang'. Recently, Nongshim collaborated with convenience store CU to launch four types of ready-to-eat meals such as kimbap and hamburgers using this sauce, expanding into B2B business.
Samyang Foods is focusing on the sauce business with 'Buldak Sauce,' derived from its bestseller 'Buldak Bokkeumyeon.' Recently, it has expanded its product line to include items such as Buldak Mayo (Buldak + mayonnaise), Carbonara Buldak (carbonara + Buldak), Buldak Sriracha (Buldak + sriracha sauce), and Haek Buldak sauce (enhanced spiciness).
Samyang Foods has recently revamped the design of its Buldak Sauce to ramp up its assault on the global market. It applied a graphic symbolizing intense spiciness, 'Torch,' to the front of the product, enhancing visual appeal, and included a flame-shaped QR code to improve content accessibility for foreign consumers. Thanks to these efforts, Samyang Foods' sauce business revenue steadily increased to 21.3 billion won in 2022, 29 billion won in 2023, and is expected to reach 43.1 billion won in 2024.
Paldo, known for 'Paldo Bibim Noodles,' launched its own sauce brand 'DIO' last year and expanded its product line from eight to twelve types. Dongwon Home Food also launched the sauce and ready-to-eat brand 'Vivid Kitchen' in 2020, selling low-sugar, low-calorie, and vegan sauces.
Ottogi, which has produced traditional sauces such as soy sauce and ketchup, is also diversifying its product line with items like 'Soy Mayo Sauce,' a mix of soy sauce and mayonnaise, and 'Kayo-nase,' a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise. The number of sauces recently launched by Ottogi has reached over 250 types. Additionally, various corporations, including Sempio, Daesang, and CJ CheilJedang, which have strengths in various condiments, are also increasing their product lines and focusing on exports.
Exports of K-sauce are also steadily increasing. According to the Korea Customs Service, last year the export value of sauce products by domestic corporations amounted to $399.75 million (approximately 573 billion won), an increase of 4.1% compared to the previous year. This figure represents an increase of 24% compared to five years ago in 2020.
The export value in the first quarter of this year also recorded $10.1 million (approximately 14.48 billion won), an increase of 9.1% compared to the same period last year. Total exports this year are expected to surpass $400 million (approximately 573.6 billion won). The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs stated, "Traditional sauces such as gochujang (red chili paste) and doenjang (soybean paste), along with spicy sauces like Carbonara Buldak and Buldak Mayo, and Korean-style chicken seasoning sauces have driven exports."
An industry representative noted, "As K-pop, movies, and dramas gain global popularity, interest in Korean food has also increased, which has naturally led to a rise in demand for related sauces," adding that "many corporations are releasing sauce products that can cater to various tastes through internal development."