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The Secret to the Popularity of Samyang Buldak Bokkeum Myeon

Samyang Foods Buldak Bokkeum Myeon, which has captured the taste buds of people around the world with its spicy flavor!

Let’s take a look at the secret to the popularity of Buldak Bokkeum Myeon, which is Samyang’s representative product leading the domestic ramen market along with Nongshim and has established itself as an icon of K-food, and its export success story.

We analyze the changes that ramen has brought to the national food culture and the power of spicy marketing.

1. Introduction to Samyang Foods

Samyang Foods, along with Nongshim, are the two leading domestic ramen companies. Nongshim, which briefly gained an advantage due to the beef tallow scandal 20 years ago, is still maintaining its number one position, but Samyang Ramen, which freed the nation from Chairman Jeon Joong-yoon’s national hunger, is considered to have made a significant contribution.

There is no doubt that ramen has brought about a transformation in the national food culture at a time when rice consumption has surpassed meat consumption.

In Arabia, when we call our country Daeshikguk (大食), meaning a country that eats a lot of rice, the picture of eating gobongbap has now become a vague truth of the past.

2. The secret to popularity

The world's favor for spicy food

In Korea, there is not only kimchi and samgyeopsal, but also frozen gimbap, which recently became a sensation in the Americas thanks to the Korean Wave, and there are endless food items that can capture the taste buds of people around the world, such as seaweed, yakgwa, and hangwa.

The spiciness of Korean food is not limited to a specific item, but it can be seen in the soup and stew culture that we still eat salty and spicy food. Products that are popular overseas, such as Buldak Bokkeum Myeon, are more likely to be due to the effect of viral marketing at the right time rather than the havarone pepper or high Scoville index.

3. Export Success Factors

The spicy noodles must have contributed significantly to the favorable trend of food exports exceeding $100 million for the first time in 2024. I believe that the unique spicy taste, convenience, and various recipe usability of Buldak Bokkeum Myeon contributed significantly to the export of $100 million.

4 Production Plant

Samyang Ramen has the largest Gumi plant in Korea, and this Buldak Bokkeum Myeon is said to be produced at the Hoengseong plant. It produces clean and safe ramen through automated quality control of a verified production line, and contributes to the local economy of Hoengseong and Wonju.

5. Spicy Revolution

Ramen lovers can enjoy the pleasure of eating with the release of various ramen, but they should be prepared for heartburn due to consuming Janichin.

It is necessary to improve the diet so that Buldak Bokkeum Myeon can be enjoyed healthily by eating it with vegetables and reducing sodium intake.

Delivering fresh agricultural products safely and fresh to consumers

Simple packaging hygiene of fresh produce (fruit): Delivering it safely and fresh to consumers

Since fruits are often consumed raw without going through a heating process, hygiene management is the top priority for ensuring safety.

Thorough hygiene management is necessary from the production stage to the consumer's table, and this is an important issue directly related to the health of consumers.

Fresh produce refers to produce grown in fields, mountains, and greenhouses, and is delivered to consumers after minimal processing.

On the other hand, processed foods are those that have undergone physical and chemical processes to transform these fresh produce.

Of course, the dictionary and legal definitions may differ, but generally, food encompasses all substances that people consume and play a physiological or functional role.

The scope of fresh produce is very broad. It includes a variety of items, from peppers and chives sold at stalls in traditional markets to cabbage for kimchi grown under contract with specialized distributors, and most of them are exempt from value-added tax.

However, it should be noted that produce that has undergone simple processing such as washing and cutting (e.g., cut pineapple) may be classified as processed foods.

Recently, I visited a company that sells various domestic and imported fruits such as apples, pears, bananas, cherry tomatoes, apple mangoes, and avocados in small portions to conduct a quality audit.

This audit, which was conducted at the request of a distributor, was aimed at checking the overall quality management system of the supplier and eliminating potential and actual threats that may occur at the final consumption stage in advance.

The workshop was located in an apartment-type factory, and it was simply going through a process of sorting the raw fruits that were received in paper boxes or P boxes, packaging them in PET containers or PP vinyl according to weight or quantity, and shipping them.

The following are potential hazards that may occur during this simple packaging process:

Biological threats: Possibility of food poisoning due to microbial contamination

1. Chemical threats: Possibility of contamination due to inappropriate use of residual pesticides, detergents, etc.

2. Physical threats: Appearance damage and decline in commercial value due to bruising, crushing, bruising, etc.

3. Quality decline: Spoilage due to excessive ripening, decline in freshness due to long-term storage, mold growth in tangerines, browning or black spots in bananas, etc.

4. Others: Changes in taste due to decreased sugar content, decline in commercial value due to pests such as fruit flies

Fresh agricultural products are generally not classified as a type of product under the Food Sanitation Act, so they are not subject to HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).

However, they can be subject to certification systems related to agricultural product quality and safety, such as GAP (Good Agricultural Practices), eco-friendly agricultural product certification, and Global GAP.

Therefore, it is more important to consider related laws and regulations, such as the Agricultural Product Quality Control Act and the Act on Promotion of Eco-friendly Agriculture and Fisheries and Management and Support of Organic Food, etc., rather than the Food Sanitation Act.

In particular, for organic or pesticide-free agricultural products, the validity period of the relevant performance certificate and certificate must be carefully checked. In the case of GAP-certified agricultural products, it is important to thoroughly understand whether the history tracking system is being properly operated.

The inspection criteria for fruit receipt are partially presented in the Rural Development Administration's GAP standards, and can be set by referring to the lower regulations of the Agricultural Products Quality Management Act or the standards held by agricultural cooperatives, etc.

Systematic inspection criteria are essential for blocking the distribution of defective fruits from the initial stage and providing only high-quality fruits to consumers.

Furthermore, the following additional considerations are suggested to strengthen hygiene management during the simple packaging process.

Workplace environment management: Maintain workplace cleanliness, regular disinfection, and appropriate temperature and humidity management

1. Worker hygiene education: Comply with personal hygiene rules (hand washing, wearing sanitary clothing, etc.), regularly conduct food safety education

2. Packaging material management: Use and store sanitary packaging materials, prevent contamination during the packaging process

3. Strengthen selection and quality inspection: Establish thorough selection criteria for blemishes, rot, pests, etc., and train quality inspection personnel

4. Storage and transportation management: Maintain appropriate temperature and humidity, prevent shock during transportation

In conclusion, the simple packaging process of fresh produce, fruits, has a great impact on the safety and satisfaction of end consumers.

In addition to complying with relevant laws and certification systems, hygiene management should be strengthened in various aspects such as the work environment, worker hygiene, and packaging material management.

This will enable us to provide safer and fresher fruits to consumers.

Seolleongtang and Kongnamulguk filled with memories

Koreans' favorite foods are Seolleongtang and Kongnamulguk.

This is the same reason why our kimchi is different from China's pao cai and Germany's sauerkraut.

Among our foods, soup, stew, and jjigae are also different.

Generally, if there is little water and a lot of garnish, it is called jjigae, and the opposite is called tang.

In the past, Seolleongtang was called Seonnongtang, which meant soup eaten when farming, the basis of life, was done. It is similar to the word used to describe the rituals performed at today's Seonnongdan.

During the Joseon Dynasty, the king himself farmed to encourage farming, and the land at that time was called Jeokjeon, and the queen also raised silkworms to weave in order to set an example for women. The current Jamsil is said to be that area.

Dogani means knee, and when we say doganitang, it is made by roasting the knee of a cow, and it is said that people with bad joints often eat it because it contains a lot of collagen, but since the molecules are large, collagen eaten as food cannot be directly digested and reach the elbows or knees, so it does not affect them.

In the past, people used to drink bean sprout soup, which is said to contain a lot of asparagine, as a hangover cure after drinking, and in the middle of summer, they made bean sprout cold soup to make it refreshing.

If you go to Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, there is a specialty food called hoe-gook near the Hanok Village. At first, I thought it was a hoe from the farming tool shovel and hoe, but it is a type of bean sprout soup with a refreshing taste.

It was named hoe-gook because it looks like a hoe, but I don't know why it is called hoe-gook in English.

Here, if you have a glass of traditional liquor called moju, which is a beverage with an alcohol content of less than 5%, you will feel even better.

Oxtail gomtang and sagol soup should also be distinguished. Sagol is a dish that is passed around among the population because when a middle-aged couple's wife leaves home for a few days on a trip or something, she is worried about the husband's remaining meals and cooks a pot to take home.

Oxtail gomtang is said to be good for people with bad backs, and if you go to Naju, Jeollanam-do, there is a Naju gomtang restaurant where you can enjoy a clear soup.

Process Management of Rice Processing Plants

Fresh agricultural products are edible ingredients for people, but most are used as raw materials for food.

Therefore, they must be handled fresh and hygienically.

In Korea, agricultural and livestock processing facilities can be classified as follows using abbreviations:

- APC (Agriculture Processing Center): Fresh Agricultural Products Processing Plant

- EPC (Egg Processing Center): Egg Processing Plant

- LPC (Livestock Processing Center): Livestock Products Processing Plant

- RPC (Rice Processing Center): Rice Processing Plant

Among these, let's think about the process, safety, and hygiene management of rice processing plants.

The following is the content of the process in the quality control of rice processing plants.

1. The supplied grains must be labeled with the product name, country of origin, farm, purchaser (producer), weight, and quantity, and unlabeled grains must be marked for return and stored separately.

2. Records of pesticides or chemicals used for received grains must be kept.

(User, chemical name, spray amount, spray date, pest name, total number of sprays, last spray date before harvest or shipment)

3. Upon receipt, the criteria for receipt of raw grains by item, such as characteristics, odor, moisture, and foreign matter, must be established and inspection conducted.

4. When using freshness-preserving agents, fumigants, etc., all chemicals must comply with safety use standards, only officially approved chemicals must be used, and records of all matters must be maintained.

(Grain name, chemical name, treatment date, treatment amount, user, etc.)

5. A receipt and payment ledger or equivalent document must be prepared and stored to manage the receipt and shipment status of grains.

6. A stone separator and metal sorter must be equipped to prevent the mixing of foreign substances, and dust collection equipment must be operated in the workplace.

7. After the sorter, appropriate measures such as sealing and sealing must be taken for pest control/protection.

8 The difference between the indicated amount of weight, capacity, etc. and the actual amount must be managed within the allowable error range.

9 A receipt and payment ledger or equivalent document must be prepared and stored to manage production, work record documents, and product receipt and shipment status.

Making small businesses into large corporations

We should not forget that global companies such as US Steel, General Electric, and Exxon Mobil started out as small businesses and have grown to become what they are today by developing the capabilities of their workers.

Cheongon, the operator of this blog, works in the field of evaluation and assessment for small businesses and has had relationships with about 1,000 companies.

Every time I visit a company, I think about why the company is stagnant instead of just passing by, and I have seen many cases where they overlook obvious elements that the company needs to develop.

Also, when I think about the reason, I think that it couldn't be otherwise, and on the one hand, I feel that I can't go against fate, and on the other hand, I feel regretful when I see areas that can be developed and developed further, but they can't help but run towards that path.

Just like people's lives, I think that companies also have a set destiny and that they have no choice but to run towards that path.

Just as ordinary people, if they are not born with a silver spoon in their mouths to become great people (earning a lot of money or fame), must work hard to achieve great fortune and timing, so too must companies meet the right manager and seize the opportunity for good items and timing.

The only reason why small and medium-sized companies cannot become large companies is that people are the only factor, and the other factor is not seizing the opportunity for good timing, and it is not a problem with items.

Just as when you are sick, you need to have a personal doctor to take care of you to stay healthy for a long time, companies should also have a personal consultant who knows the company well to seek advice in order to advance.

In this regard, Eastern humanities can be of great help.

The emphasis on people-centered morality, rather than the material civilization of the West that has continued for thousands of years, can still be useful even now that AI has developed.

In today's corporate management, represented by Henry Ford and Jack Welch, a change in the consciousness of CEOs is needed to allow employees to fully utilize their individual abilities and turn this into profit.

Sweet and medicinal ginseng Jeonggwa

Korean ginseng is one of the most popular foods around the world because it contains a lot of saponins that strengthen the immune system.

It is a Korean confectionery made by boiling fruits or root vegetables in sugar, etc., and is a type of sugar confectionery.

There are various types, such as Insamjeonggwa, Carrotjeonggwa, Dongajeonggwa, Gingerjeonggwa, Yeongeunjeonggwa, Mogwagwa, Yujajeonggwa, Juksunjeonggwa, Hongsamjeonggwa, and Dorajijeonggwa.

Some have a unique flavor, such as Mogwa or Yuja, and some fruits, such as Pears, are also used. Root vegetables, such as Lotus Root, Ginger, and Radish, and medicinal herbs, such as Cheonmundong, Hasanmul, and Ginseng are also used.

Jeonggwa is made by soaking or boiling in honey to a Brix of 65 or higher for high storage, and it is also made into a Sujeonggwa by floating the dried fruits in honey water and used as a healthy drink.

These kinds of jeonggwa are usually rich in fiber, and in a time when sweet foods such as honey or jeonggwa were not readily available, sweet jeonggwa was considered a precious food.

In the past, it was literally a food served on ceremonial tables or when honored guests came, but now it is considered a type of medicinal herb according to its efficacy.

In particular, doraji is good for coughing and is good for the respiratory tract, and ginseng is good for strengthening the immune system with its saponin component, and pear and yuzu each have their own efficacy, so they were used in various ways such as with tea, as a snack, or in cooking.

The process of making it is to boil or steam it once so that the sugars such as honey, jeonggwa, and sugar are absorbed into the fiber tissue, and then cook it. In the past, it was made with honey, but now it is made by mixing sugar or molasses.

Jeonggwa is a storage method suitable for the old days when there was no refrigeration because it not only provides sweetness by allowing the sugar to penetrate as the moisture in the ingredients evaporates, but also makes it difficult for bacteria to invade due to increased osmotic pressure, along with the drying method, and has good storability.

Ancient Mysterious Place Seongryugul(Cave)

1 Introduction to Seongryugul(Cave)

Seongryugul is a limestone cave located in Gusan-ri, Geunnam-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk. It is near the Bulyeongsa Valley and is approximately 915m long (including the underwater cave section).

The cave is made of limestone and is colored in shades of red, gray, and white.

There are nine squares and three pools of water 4-5m deep inside the cave, and various cave formations such as stalactites that look like icicles, stalagmites that protrude from the ground, and stone columns formed by stalactites and stalagmites meeting to form pillars are evenly distributed.

Seongryugul originally meant a place where immortals leisurely played, and you can see the beautiful and diverse formations that can be seen in limestone caves, such as splendid stalactites, stalagmites, and stone columns, like an underground palace.

It meets the mineral spring that returns to Bulyeong Valley, forms Wangpicheon, and enters the East Sea where Mangyangjeong is located.

It is called Seongryugul, meaning 'where the Buddha stayed'.

This place is also called 'Underground Geumgang' because the strange limestone rocks here look like Geumgangsan.

It is estimated that the cave has 250 million years of age, and it is about 870m long from north to south.

The largest square is 18m wide, 25m long, and 40m high. The water depth is usually 4-20m, and the temperature is 15-17℃, which hardly changes throughout the year.

It was designated as Natural Monument No. 155 in 1963.

2 How to get to Seongryugul(Cave)

- Address: 221 Seongryugul-ro, Geunnam-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do

- Business hours: Open. Winter season November~February 17:00 closes

- Phone number: 054-789-5404

- Website: https://www.uljin.go.kr/tour/ https://www.heritage.go.kr

- Parking: Available

- Designation status: Natural monument Uljin Seongryugul (designated on May 10, 1963)

- Disabled parking information: Disabled parking area parking available

3 The scenery of Seongryugul(Cave)

4 Map

5 Surrounding information

Uljin has not only Seongryu Cave but also various tourist attractions.

You can swim at Pohang Beach, and there is a temple called Bogyeongsa on Naeyeonsan Mountain, which offers beautiful scenery.

There is a beach market nearby, so you can eat cheap and fresh seafood.

Pohang Homigot(cape) Sangsaengui Hand

Jukbyeon Port in Gyeongbuk

Naeyeonsan Bogyeongsa Temple in Gyeongbuk

Future value of a Korean company

The purpose of a company is to maximize the profits of shareholders.

This is the saying of Jack Welch, who is known as a management genius, and in fact, he closed down unprofitable companies and fired many workers in order to increase corporate value.

However, in Eastern countries like Korea and Japan, seniority is considered important, so natural status and salary were rising, but now, an evaluation method based on performance is emerging.

Hanwha is an abbreviation for Korean Explosives, and the name was changed because the image of the name reminds people of violence and terrorism in English.

This shows a much softer tone, making it easier to advance into the global market than before, and it is not too much to leave a good impression on the Korean people.

The acquisition of Daehan Life Insurance and its transformation into Hanwha Life Insurance, and the acquisition of four Samsung companies (Samsung Thales, Samsung Techwin, Samsung Total, and Samsung General Chemical) in the fall of 2014, have further expanded the company’s external appearance and enabled it to pursue true business diversification.

Hanwha has a strong image of fire, and when viewed as a symbiotic relationship, a tree fuels the fire and water puts it out.

The acquisition and merger of defense and chemical companies may face difficulties due to lack of funds at the moment, but in the future, it can become a filial company and will gradually transform, and there is no shortage of it as a cornerstone.

Chairman Kim Seung-yeon, the chairman of the board of directors, has a solid appearance and a strong driving force.

People, companies, natural persons, and corporations need to change and transform, and in this regard, I believe this decision is the right one. However, this is on the premise that it will not face financial difficulties like Hyundai Motor Company's purchase of KEPCO land.

And Top's thinking must also change. It hasn't been long since we were free from the English body, but thinking back to that time, it is a time when diligence and self-discipline are required.

HanHwa Sustainability Plan(ESG Management)

Under the holding company of Hanwha Corporation, it has affiliates such as Hanwha Life Insurance, Hanwha Solutions in the petrochemical industry, Hanwha Total Energy in energy, Hanwha Aerospace in the defense industry including aviation, Hanwha Ocean in the shipbuilding industry, and Hanwha Energy in the power generation industry.

Now, Hanwha Group is expanding its scope in the defense industry as well as the marine shipbuilding business, so it is a company with promising prospects for the next 10 years.

Location selection for small business owners such as restaurants

The food industry is the easiest to approach in these times of economic downturn.

You can eat it all up if it doesn't work out, so you think it's less damaging, but these days, if you don't become an expert, you're likely to fail.

Just starting out lightly is not helpful at all, and even people with a track record in that field only achieve success in about 10% of cases.

That's why only managers who respond to change and innovation like tigers or leopards survive.

The biggest difference between humans and animals is that they can think and have free will based on this.

In other words, humans can forge their own destiny, but animals, whether wild or domesticated, are dependent on their surroundings and environment, such as actively avoiding the cold, not being able to light a fire and relying solely on instinct. Livestock also have their fate determined by the will of their owners.

This means that adults can carve out their own destiny, but when they are minors or children, they are naturally greatly influenced by their parents.

This is also true in today's business or trade, where the success rate is less than 10%.

I think it is right to leave the experts to the experts and focus on what I can do best.

I dare say that the difference between a business and a business is whether there is a plan (in simple terms, whether there is a set schedule for tomorrow and an annual goal).

Location is very important among the success factors in starting a business.

In Yangtaek Consulting, my theory is that the flow of good energy is upward when viewed from the entrance.

In other words, it is impossible to define the place where this energy flows uniformly (this means that you have to go to the site yourself).

It is not true that a business will always be successful just because there is a large floating population, but it is fundamental that it depends a lot on who is moving around.

Also, if it is located at a sharp corner of a triangle, people who try to enter may feel uncomfortable, and the basement or the 2nd and 3rd floors each have good businesses.

However, if you measure the energy through Elrod or Gwanryong/Simryongja, there are places where business is good even though it is clearly judged to be a bad location, and vice versa.

The flow of energy is not felt by ordinary people, but it is definitely there, and this is the flow of heavenly energy and the flow of earthly energy that a person feels through the right big toe and determines its size.

Therefore, Elrod does not simply judge the presence and size of water veins, but also judges both earthly energy and heavenly energy, and this can be said to be a very special thing that only trained people can feel.

In addition, someone who has actually studied it can analyze it in oriental thought (it may be more detailed and scientific by expanding the interpretation to yin-yang, the five elements, and even the 28 constellations) and present it.

Process inspection item(Hygiene)s for egg production

Process inspection contents in the production process of edible eggs

Laying hens that produce eggs are experiencing difficulties in supply due to the spread of avian influenza.

In the United States, mammals such as dairy cows have been found to be infected, and ㅅthere are concerns that it may spread to humans as well.

Most farms have good hygiene management, so they are fundamentally blocking the occurrence of AI, so there is no need to worry too much.

The following are the manufacturing inspection items for the process through which eggs laid on farms end up on our tables.

This is based on Korean standards, but it is thought to be the same in other countries.

In most cases, it is combined with a laying hen farm, and the eggs are transported to the processing facility via conveyors, etc., and the process begins at this point.

The following are the process inspection items by managers in the packaging and processing process of edible eggs.

1. Belt condition when eggs are brought in

- Is the egg cross belt operating normally?

- Is the area around the egg cavity clean?

2. Input process

- Is the area around the equipment clean?

- Is the extension table operating normally?

- Is the accumulator operating normally?

- Is the surface temperature of the eggs recorded (usually managed below 10℃)

- Is the operation status of the non-acidic electrolyzed water production device and PPM recorded (20 ~ 30PPM)

3. Sorting process

- Is the egg sorter operating normally?

4. Washing process

- Is the temperature of the washing water in compliance with the standard (45 ~ 60℃)

- Is the pH of the washing water appropriate (5.8 ~ 8.5)

- Is the washing process progressing well?

5. Drying process

- Is the drying process good and operating normally?

- Appropriateness of dry hot air temperature (50 ~ 50℃)

6. Crack detection process

- Is the Crack/Leaker Detactor, a blue detection device, operating normally?

7. UV sterilization

- Check whether the UV sterilization lamp is operating normally

8. Sorting process

- Is the weight sorter operating normally?

- Is the weight standard compliant?

- Is the take-away clean?

9. Blood spot detection process

- Is the Blood Detector operating normally?

10. Egg seat supply

- Is the Denester operating normally?

- Is the egg seat used in a first-in, first-out manner?

11. Packaging

- Is the egg shell stamper operating normally?

- Is there foreign matter mixed in?

- Is there an abnormality in the sealing of the sealing paper?

- Is the packaging equipment operating normally?

12. Storage

- Is it organized and neatly organized by product?

- Is the storage temperature in compliance with the set standard (1 ~ 7℃)

- Cleanliness of product storage warehouse

- First-come-first-served product

When sorting and packaging edible eggs, the egg yolk and egg white are protected by the eggshell, protecting them from foreign substances and other hazardous factors. After washing and inspecting, the eggs are packaged according to weight and size, so no special risk factors have been found. However, we need to continue to pay attention and observe any special issues that may arise in the future.