'Seoul Food 2017' takes place in KINTEX

국내 최대 규모 식품전시회 '서울 푸드 2017' 킨텍스서 열려

One of Korea′s most recognized international food exhibition kicked off a four day run last Tuesday.
By the final day of the gastronomic event, the largest number of people flooded the venue.
Our Kim Hye-sung takes us to KINTEX for the latest food trend.


Vegetables, meat, snacks, beverages and more, all in one place.
It's Seoul Food 2017, Korea's largest annual international food exhibition.
Under the theme "nutritional and clean," more than one-thousand vendors are showcasing food and drink of just about every type imaginable.
The natural, organic products include teas, canned and bottled drinks, and slush mixes that can be customized to fit your specific nutritional needs.
When it comes to Korean traditional food, it goes way beyond kimchi.
There's white rice and black rice milk -- and baked goods like crackers and walnut cakes using 100-percent rice in place of flour.

That's not to mention complete dishes that are ready-to-eat.


"With a rising number of people living by themselves, vendors displayed a greater variety of packaged meals for one."

Korean noodles, fried rice, and chicken soup -- alongside Vietnamese pho, Japanese udong and Italian pasta.
For the more adventurous -- food made from insects, like a chocolate bar made of grasshopper powder.

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"Grasshoppers are very nutritious, with more than three times the protein per gram compared to beef. Our chocolate bar contains no antibiotics or processed ingredients, so it's safe and clean to eat. Above all, it tastes good "

Though it's certainly an interesting place for casual visitors, there's a lot of business being done, too,... among buyers looking to import or exports items from Korea.


I'm visiting this event because I'm a wine and food importer here in Korea, and I'm trying now to do some exports for the Korean market."

According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, more than 70 million U.S. dollars worth of contracts were signed last year.
And this year, with the number of visitors to Seoul Food expected to surpass last year's 50,000, the organizers expect it'll help enrich the lives of many people, especially foodies.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.

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