Bread is enjoyed by people of all ages, with a wide assortment of types and flavors to choose from. Nowadays, many Koreans are choosing bread as a staple over rice. When did Koreans start eating bread? Today, let’s find out the history of how Koreans started enjoying bread from the West and the all-time favorite bread among Koreans.
The History of Bread in Korea
Introduction by Foreign Missionaries
Bread, the staple food in the West, was first brought to Korea by foreign missionaries in the late 19th century. Although today’s Koreans refer to bread as pan, derived from the Portuguese word pão, back then, it was called myeonpo (麵麭), a Korean pronunciation of the Chinese translation. Seolgo, a type of cake similar to today’s castella sponge cake, was also first created around this time. The bread-eating culture was first introduced to Korea through exchanges with foreign countries. Desserts such as wagashi sweets and western confectioneries were imported from Japan, which started the confectionery industry in Korea. In the late 1920s, milling factories that process flour were established, opening the era of bread.
Sangmidang, a Bakery Founded Post-Liberation
Before the Korean liberation, the bakery industry relied on a Japanese-owned system with a clear division of wholesale and retail. After the independence in 1945, Koreans started opening bakeries that both produced and sold bread on their own. In October of the same year, Sangmidang, the root of the SPC group, was founded. Founder Heo Chang-seong, skillfully utilizing the information on the bread distribution network, also established Samlip Industrial Confectionery Co., Ltd. that could mass-produce affordable and delicious baked goods. It laid the basis for Samlip to become the nation’s industry leader with original technology from Korea. Amid subsequent historical climates, including the Korean War, the aid of raw ingredients by the US military government, and the policy that encouraged flour consumption in the 1960s, the Korean bakery industry began to flourish. In the late 20th century, as customers acquired diversified appetites with their frequent contact with the West, high-quality baked goods were introduced to meet their needs. (Source: Life History of Korea: History of Bread in Korea)
Bread, the Beloved Food of Modern Koreans
The Trend of Bread Consumption per Capita in Korea
In modern Korea, bakeries are found everywhere, and bread has become so familiar to the Korean palate that it is rare to find someone who hasn’t tried it. The market size is also growing steadily. So how much bread do Korean people eat? According to the national nutritional food statistics, bread consumption per capita increased from 78 rolls per year in 2012 to 90 rolls in 2018, using an 85g red bean roll as a unit. During the same period, white rice intake has decreased, which demonstrates that many people started to prefer bread over rice (Source: 2018 Status of Processed Food Market Segment: Bread Industry, Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation). In other words, there is an increasing number of people who eat bread as a staple instead of rice.
What is the Most Popular Bread in Korea?
SPC Samlip’s 56-Hour Low-Temperature Ripened Bread
These beloved baked goods have a wide assortment of choices: the nostalgic custard-filled rolls and red bean rolls, whole wheat bread that meets today’s wellness-driven trend, premium bread made of select ingredients, and signature local confections. But the most versatile and best-selling item is none other than sliced bread. It can be eaten by itself without adding anything. With just butter and jam, you have a meal. It can also be applied to various recipes to create rusks from crusts or tasty sandwiches with fresh vegetables and ham. So what is the most beloved sliced bread of all time in Korea?
The Record-Breaking “Ripened Bread”
SPC Samlip’s “56-Hour Low-Temperature Ripened Bread” is a longtime bestseller celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It has been ripened at a low temperature for a long time, and with the “tangzhong technique” that cooks the dough with hot water before baking, the bread has a moist and chewy texture. The Ripened Bread has the largest sales volume as a single brand, with cumulative sales of more than 120 million loaves over its 20-year history. If you convert the sales record of this bread into length, it equals 22,000 km, which is equivalent to 1,235 round-trips to Mt. Everest at the elevation of 8,848m. Officially certified by KRI (Korea Record Institute), SPC Samlip will continue to record the history of our Ripened Bread, which has long provided happy experiences to our customers with our expertise in baking.
Today, we studied how bread has become an alternative to rice in Korea over time. We also learned the SPC Group’s historical vision that still strives to provide high-quality products and prioritize taste and quality today, almost eight decades after Sangmidang was established. We believe it was this utmost effort that contributed to the popularity of Ripened Bread, recognized as one of the most iconic in Korea.
