Korea's top mukbang star Tzuyang reveals 4 refrigerators, $6,800 monthly food cost
Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang / Courtesy of JTBC
Mukbang YouTuber Tzuyang is set to reveal the inside of her refrigerators, surprising viewers by saying her monthly food expenses exceed 10 million won ($6,800).
On the Nov. 23 episode of JTBC’s “Please Take Care of My Refrigerator,” Tzuyang — who has 12.7 million subscribers and a cumulative 3.4 billion views — will appear alongside fellow creator Ipjjalbeun Haetnim (short_mouth_sun), an 11-year veteran in the mukbang scene. It is the first time the two top creators, often described as the leading figures of the genre, are appearing on the same program.
The episode features a rapid-fire Q&A session that quickly energizes the studio. When asked about her usual meal volume, Tzuyang says, “I eat about 20 packets of ramen, and I have eaten up to 40 servings of grilled intestines,” adding, “My monthly food budget alone is over 10 million won,” revealing a level of consumption that astonishes the cast. As she continues sharing remarkable behind-the-scenes stories about her eating habits, the chefs bombard her with questions, turning the set into a lively talk space.
Tzuyang’s extraordinary refrigerator setup is also unveiled. She brings two refrigerators and a large amount of room temperature ingredients to the studio, explaining, “At home, I actually have four refrigerators and even a separate pantry just for snacks.” She then plays a video showing her real kitchen.
Writer Kim Poong asks, “Is this a convenience store storage room?” while chef Choi Hyun-seok reacts by saying, “Four refrigerators is the scale of at least a one-hundred-seat restaurant.” The studio stirs again when industrial-size ingredients and a refrigerator dedicated solely to beverages appear.
The show also reveals Tzuyang’s favorite ingredients. During a refrigerator inspection, the cast notices a single-serving ready-made meal that seems uncharacteristic for her. Tzuyang says she eats it “to curb my hunger while waiting for delivery food,” drawing laughter. When the hosts find ingredients with the labels removed and ask why, she answers, “It is an all-purpose ingredient I do not want anyone to know about, so I removed the label myself,” heightening curiosity about the mystery item.
Tzuyang began her YouTube career in 2018 and quickly gained massive popularity.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.