Instant noodle exports hit new high in first 11 months of 2021 amid pandemic

A shopper picks up instant noodles at a retail outlet in Seoul, in this August 2016 file photo. Yonhap

Exports of instant noodles reached an all-time high in the first 11 months of 2021 on their growing global popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Monday.

South Korea exported $607.9 million worth of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, in the January-November period, up 10.6 percent from the same period of 2020, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and industry sources.

Last year's bumper record was attributed to the global popularity of Korean-made instant noodles as an emergency food in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak that forced people to stay home.

Also responsible were strong overseas shipments of "chapaguri," a signature noodle dish made popular by the Oscar-winning film "Parasite," according to the sources.

China was the largest overseas market with exports reaching $133.42 million.

The United States came next with $70.76 million, followed by Japan with $58.77 million, Taiwan with $29.18 million and the Philippines with $25.96 million. (Yonhap)

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