Dive Brief:
- Bibigo owner CJ Foods is set to build a land-based seaweed plant as demand for Korean foods and flavors surges.
- The company will break ground in August on a facility in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, for large-scale cultivation of gim, a roasted seaweed used in Korean cuisine.
- The plant, set to be completed in the first half of 2027, will allow CJ Foods to be able to harvest gim year-round instead of only during the winter season.
Dive Insight:
As Korean food explodes in popularity across the U.S., Bibigo's owner is taking steps to secure supply of a key ingredient that's threatened due to climate change.
Rising sea temperatures and higher demand mean conventional ocean-based cultivation “is reaching its limits," CJ Foods said.
The company has invested in land-based gim farming since 2018, and the new plant represents CJ's entry into the commercialization phase following successful tests in 2021 and 2022.
"This facility will serve as a testing ground for applying CJ's more than decade-long land-based gim cultivation technology at an industrial scale, while also becoming an outpost for the sustainable future of K-Food." said CJ Foods Global CTO Adam Ricciardone. "We plan to further accelerate commercialization so that consumers around the world can enjoy fresh, safe bibigo gim in every season."
CJ has developed its own gim variety optimized for land-based growing conditions. The new variety offers higher production efficiency and greater temperature adaptability than ocean-grown seaweed, and it is grown in a specialized culture medium that maximizes growth, taste and quality.
Gim is an important ingredient in Korea's most well known snack gimbap, a seaweed rice roll with meat or vegetable filling. The ingredient is gaining prominence as Korean foods become a mainstay in the U.S..
Korean restaurants, foods, beverages and flavors have seen significant growth over the past few years. The number of Korean restaurant locations increased by 10% between 2023 and 2024, according to Circana research.
Bibigo, which is distributed in the U.S. by Red Baron owner CJ Schwan's, recorded 1,100% growth in retail sales between 2020 and 2024.
Demand for Korean food reflects growing interest in Korean culture across beauty, music and culture. A study from the Korea Economic Institute of America found that when respondents were asked to choose South Korean cultural topics they’re interested in, 42% selected food, beating out K-pop and K-beauty.
Consumers in suburban and urban markets are most likely to be interested in Korean food, alongside younger and middle-aged adults. Americans over 50 years old had lower interest, as did those with lower education levels.
