Add a Bit of Seoul to the Menu

Korean-style foods aren’t just having a moment—they are shaping the moment for Asian flavors across the U.S. foodservice spectrum. In the ongoing quest for consumer affection, Korean cuisine stands out for its irresistible mix of comfort, heat, tang and craveable complexity. Intrigued by everything from the deep umami of its classic ferments to the sweet-savory balance of its distinctive barbecue, diners are sending a clear signal to foodservice operators: Keep Korean flavors coming. The door is open for some smart menu differentiation.

Many forward-leaning brands have started to seize the opportunities at play, adding a bibimbap bowl here, tucking bulgogi-style beef into a fusion taco there or upgrading a traditional fried chicken prep to the classic Korean-style double-fry. Research from Datassential (Inside the Foodservice Mindset, April 2025), ranks Korean as the fastest-growing cuisine, with 32 percent unit growth over the last five years.

Still, an abundant sense of caution predominates when it comes to the widespread leveraging of consumer fascination with all things Korean while retaining menu alignment with a restaurant brand identity.

Fortunately, injecting a little “Seoul power” doesn’t mean a brand’s core menu must undergo a seismic shift. Simple menu tweaks—often to existing diner favorites—can have big flavor impact. Let gochujang lead the way.

Gochujang is a thick, spicy paste typically made from red chile powder (gochugaru), fermented soybeans, rice flour, sweeteners and salt. In its Top 10 Trends for 2025, Flavor & The Menu declared gochujang “the ambassador of Korean condiments, moving into the pantheon of modern flavor builders … closing in on Sriracha as a go-to source of funky heat.” The numbers support that claim: In 2023, Datassential estimated gochujang had enjoyed a 48 percent increase in menu penetration over the previous four years.

Adaptable and highly versatile, gochujang—as a paste, a sauce, a powder or a seasoning blend—can be a hero ingredient that serves as an accessible and authentic gateway to trend-forward menus that today’s customers expect.

The bread may be flat, but the flavor? Anything but. This craveable flatbread delivers layers of flavor. bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce is used twice: to marinate the chicken breast pieces and bring more depth to the tomato sauce. A gooey mozzarella and a sprinkle of scallions completes the build.

APPROACHABLE & ACCESSIBLE

The quest is well worth the effort, affirms Deb Hey, corporate chef, CJ Schwan’s. “We’re seeing Korean flavor profiles coming in strong in different dayparts, delivering a dynamic interplay with sweet, heat, umami and a little bit of tang in every bite,” she reports. “When you have a recipe that needs ‘something,’ it’s typically an umami flavor that you’re looking for to bring it all together.” A little infusion of gochujang in a sauce, a marinade, a condiment, a dressing—often as a simple plus-one recipe—can be a low lift effort that makes a big impact.

CJ Schwan’s boasts an impressive and well-respected line-up of foodservice solutions that help operators bring global flavors to the table. Among these is bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce, a perfect means of tapping into Korean flavors without overwhelming either the operator or the customer. “Made with gochujang paste, the product’s sauce format doesn’t overpower. It’s more subtle, working to enhance the ingredients that it is paired with,” Hey explains.

With its savory, earthy, umami notes and subtle heat, bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce is an ideal flavor builder with abundant menu application potential. Hey describes a few inspirations that could be good fits with many broadline fast-casual brands making initial or expanded forays into offering Asian flavors. In fact, 2025 research from Datassential (Global Flavors) finds that 81 percent of operators see sauces like this one as the key to incorporating global flavors on menus.

Fried or steamed, bibigo™ Chicken & Vegetable Steamed Dumplings deliver craveable flavor. At right, a surprising Korean-Italian fusion emerges when the steamed dumplings are served in an unexpected gochujang-rosé sauce.

Sauces, Dips, Condiments: Use the product by itself or create additional flavor varieties simply by adding a plus-one ingredient like garlic, ginger, chile flakes or sesame. Offer multiple versions as a gochujang sauce flight of dips for Asian-style appetizers or any number of other dippables, from fried cheese sticks to wings to veggies. Consider spiking mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup with the bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce to create signature topping on burgers, sandwiches and wraps.

Inspirational Entrées and Surprising Sides: Try a gochujang grilled cheese (featuring gochujang butter) with sweet tomato jam on toasted sourdough. Top ground beef with a gochujang gravy plus sesame mashed potatoes in a Korean-style shepherd’s pie. Reinvent chicken and waffles with a gochujang-infused honey. Fuse Asian and Italian flavors by simmering steamed dumplings in an unexpected gochujang-rosé sauce. Serve up roasted carrots finished with maple syrup, gochujang and toasted sesame. Add gochujang and kimchi to coleslaw recipes.

Delectable Desserts: Gochujang can add depth and intrigue baked goods like cookies and brookies. Drizzle gochujang sauce over ice cream for a sweet-heat moment or add it to a caramel sauce for a sundae drizzle or a baked caramel apple crisp. Warm, fried doughnuts tossed in honey butter that boasts a hint of gochujang delivers a sweet-spicy finish.

The appetizers and shareables categories are especially suited to featuring Asian-style menu items. This tower presentation demonstrates how well egg roll, spring roll, dumpling and sauce products from the CHEF ONE^®, MINH^® and bibigo™ brands stack up in flavor, texture and eye appeal.

Aspirational Apps. Gochujang lends new notes to honey roasted pecans or maple-flavored popcorn. Blend whipped butter with gochujang, garlic, honey and sesame for a Korean-inspired butter board served with grilled bread, roasted vegetables or dumplings. Arancini filled with chopped kimchi and mozzarella gets an extra kick from a spicy gochujang marinara. Infuse gochujang into cheese, blend with noodle pasta and fry for bite-sized mac-and-cheese balls accompanied by a complementary dipping sauce of gochujang aïoli.

For foodservice operations more committed to Asian flavors, CJ Schwan’s also offers a deep bench of Asian-Style Appetizers through its MINH^® and CHEF ONE^® brands. These include a variety of egg rolls, spring rolls and dumplings that can gain greater relevance on modern menus through creative flavors, formats and fusion pairings.

AUTHENTICITY MATTERS

“Today’s diners are informed. They can recognize flavor depth and know what’s ‘real’ and what’s not,” says Hey. CJ Schwan’s stands out as a leader with extensive experience and a culinary background in Korean food culture, including fermentation and sauce development. The versatile, accessible bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce is emblematic of that expertise and makes initial forays into Korean cuisine less formidable.

Operators should lean into the authentic flavors of the product, advises Hey, who encourages operators to make it easy for customers to try and eventually adopt the distinctive gochujang sauce product: “Put it on the table along with hot sauce, ketchup and mustard. Buy the portion-controlled packaging for take-away meals. Get it in jugs for the kitchen to incorporate into recipes. It’s very accessible and on-trend.”

From bibigo™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce to the MINH^® Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll to the CHEF ONE^® Beef &Vegetable Mandu, CJ Schwan’s “has the products and ingredients that make it easy for operators to add bold, memorable Asian flavors—especially Korean—across every daypart and menu concept,” says Hey.

Click here to learn more about how product solutions from CJ Schwan’s can open the door to new Asian-flavored menu wins.