On a trip to Korea last week AgraKepak’s Korean sales manager Andrew Agnew noted that the market for Samgyeopsal bellies was very hot. Samgyeopsal is a popular Korean meal consisting of thick, fat slices of pork belly meat, usually marinated, and cooked on a grill at the table by the customer themselves (see picture). Normal accompaniment is beer and soju, sometimes mixed!
“A new trend in Korea is the all-you-can-eat belly restaurant where 10,000 KRW (around $9) gets you as much belly as you desire” says Agnew, “this has led to huge increase in demand for fatty bellies and an increase in pricing. This market is expected to maintain consumer demand for some time, but restaurant owners are complaining that the price is now unprofitable for them.”
Another popular item in the wholesale market in Seoul is neck bones. These are often used to produce neck bone soup (see picture), which Europeans may be surprised to find is a tasty and filling dish. We certainly enjoyed it anyway!
