| Consumer Preferences—In
2002, Korean households spent 26.3 percent of their consumption
expenditures on food and beverages. The largest portion
(12.2 percent) was spent on cereals and bread, followed
by meat (9.3 percent), vegetables and seaweeds (7.5 percent),
and fish (7.1 percent). Most food-purchasing decisions
are made by women. Korean shoppers prefer fresh produce
and low-calorie food without additives, as well as products
essential to traditional Korean dishes, including beef
and pork products. Beef is often purchased to make beef
soups or bulgogi, a traditional, spicy beef dish (USMEF
2003i).
Dietary preferences in Korea are slowly changing, and
younger consumers are buying more imported, Western-style
foods and tastes. Coupled with the increasing prosperity
of the average Korean household, these changing preferences
have contributed to a boom in the food service sector.
Although 55 percent of the beef consumed in Korea is
eaten at home, beef is also a popular component of restaurant
meals. More Koreans are eating out at family-style restaurants,
including those that serve American-style beef, such
as Outback Steakhouse and TGIF. Through these restaurants,
diners are often exposed to foods previously unfamiliar
to Korean consumers. (USMEF 2003j).
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