VIDEO We tested Asia’s best models with diet food. Were they fooled?
In a fascinating culinary experiment, three of Asia's top models were stumped by a phenomenon now sweeping the nation: South Korea’s ‘zero food’ trend. It is not merely a diet fad, but a major cultural and commercial movement. Fueled by rising health consciousness and a desire to enjoy traditional tastes guilt-free, the zero food market — which primarily focuses on replacing sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners and lowering overall calories — has exploded. Products like zero-sugar sodas, bread and snacks are now a staple in convenience stores and supermarkets, with consumers actively seeking ways to balance indulgence with their fitness goals.
The challenge, hosted by Joel Jay Lane for The Korea Times’s "Foodie Korea" series, leveraged this trend, asking stunning contestants from the Asia Model Festival to blind-taste classic Korean dishes against newly developed, zero-calorie counterparts.
Gathered from the prestigious Asia Model Festival at High1 Resort, the panel included Nina from Hong Kong, Bilric from Myanmar and the newly crowned Face of Asia winner, 19-year-old Ryu from Thailand. The models, known for their strict dietary regimens, were put to the test when comparing foods like jajangmyeon (black bean noodles), bibim-myeon (spicy cold noodles), the iconic tteokbokki (stir-fried spicy rice cakes), the sweet rice drink sikhye and the ubiquitous Choco Pie.
The challenge was a near-total failure for the judges. The low-calorie and zero-sugar options were virtually indistinguishable from the originals for the majority of the food, speaking volumes about the progress of Korea’s functional food technology and the success of the zero-food movement.
A particularly spicy round of tteokbokki revealed a personal quirk of one participant: the Thai model, Ryu, quickly found herself overwhelmed by the heat, humorously shattering the cultural stereotype that all Thai people possess an ironclad tolerance for spice. The segment also provided a brief, witty clash of generations. When host Joel Jay Lane gave the models a taste of the sikhye, the models introduced him to a piece of Gen-Z slang: "This is what we say when we eat something tasty: sexy food!" Lane, clearly bewildered, responded with a prolonged stare — a perfect moment of culture shock for the camera. The video is an engaging and entertaining look at how Korea is successfully blending health goals with its beloved food culture.