Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Korea enlists bakers to solve grain glut
A promotional poster for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' "bbangji sullye" (bread pilgrimage) campaign aiming to address a chronic oversupply of rice. Courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
By Jhoo Dong-chan
In Korea, the pursuit of the perfect pastry is treated less like a casual snack and more like a holy pilgrimage. Enthusiasts have even coined a term for it: "bbangji sullye," or "bread pilgrimage," a viral phenomenon where foodies travel across the country to document their bakery visits on social media.
Now, the Korean government is hoping to harness this culinary fervor to solve a serious agricultural crisis: a chronic oversupply of traditional rice and declining domestic grain self-sufficiency.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Wednesday launched its largest-scale bread pilgrimage campaign. Over the next four months, the government is partnering with 300 bakeries nationwide to introduce a wide array of new pastries made from "garu ssal" or powdered rice.
Powdered rice is a specialized grain variety developed by agricultural scientists to be milled easily into flour without the intensive soaking required by conventional rice. The ministry views the ingredient as a critical lifeline for balancing grain supply and demand. By substituting imported wheat with domestic rice flour, officials hope to stabilize plummeting rice prices and bolster the nation's food security.
The campaign, now in its third year, has tripled in size compared to 2025. It features a diverse roster of participants, ranging from legendary neighborhood institutions to high-end artisanal shops managed by certified master pastry chefs.
To appeal to younger, digitally savvy consumers, the government is deploying a mix of pop culture marketing and high-end incentives. Customers who spend more than 20,000 won ($15) on rice-based pastries will receive limited-edition keyrings created in collaboration with the team behind "Bread Barbershop," a highly popular animated series. The ministry is also offering home ovens through monthly prize draws to encourage repeat purchases.
"We hope these pilgrimages will make consumers feel more familiar with powdered rice, ultimately sparking a sustained increase in consumption," said Jeong Hye-ryeon, the ministry’s director general for grain policy. "We will continue to work closely with the bakery industry to ensure consumers can enjoy high-quality, delicious alternatives to imported wheat."
For Korea's dedicated "bread pilgrims," the initiative offers a rare alignment of gastronomic exploration and civic duty. Over the summer and into autumn, the path to supporting domestic farmers will be paved with rice-flour croissants and sweet bean buns.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.