Kimchi is a part of Korean life. The latest data shows that the import volume of Korean kimchi in 2017 reached more than 10 times the export volume, and 99% of the imported kimchi came from China.
99% of Korean kimchi imports in 2017 came from China
Trade statistics recently released by the Korean Customs Service show that the trade deficit of Korean kimchi in 2017 was 50.3 billion won (approximately 300 million yuan), an increase of 11% over 2016. This is not only a record high since relevant statistics were implemented in 2000, but also the first time the deficit exceeded the 50 billion won mark. At the same time, the gap between the import and export volume of Korean kimchi has also set a new record - South Korea imported 275,600 tons of kimchi in 2017, 10 times the export volume, 99% of which were Chinese kimchi, while the export volume was only 24,000 tons , the scale of the deficit has exceeded the record high set in 2016.
The biggest advantage of Chinese kimchi is its price. Because Chinese kimchi is of high quality and low price, it has a competitive advantage over Korean kimchi and is widely accepted by Korean people. According to the Korea Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Distribution Corporation, as of 2016, the export unit price of Korean kimchi was US$3.36 per kilogram (approximately RMB 21.6), while the unit price of imported kimchi was only US$0.5 per kilogram (approximately RMB 3.2).
On the other hand, the export price of Korean kimchi has increased every year since 2007, but the price of imported kimchi has remained basically unchanged. The Korea Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Distribution Corporation stated that restaurants and other places that provide food and drinks in South Korea basically use Chinese kimchi, which further stimulates the import of kimchi.
Ju Guishun, a 67-year-old aunt who sells handmade kimchi in a market in Seoul, said calmly, "As a kimchi practitioner, I feel very sad when I see Chinese kimchi being used in our own restaurants and families in Korea." Not the taste. But there is nothing we can do about it. China's economy has a huge impact on all aspects of Korean people's lives. It would be difficult for me to live without Chinese products.
According to statistics from the Korea Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Distribution Corporation, taking 2014 as an example, the total value of kimchi exported from South Korea to China was US$16,439, while the total value of kimchi exported from China to South Korea was as high as US$104 million. The difference between the two is 6340 times!
In the previous year of 2013, South Korea’s kimchi exports to China were only US$108, which was almost negligible.
Korean kimchi cannot be saved by having a "foreign name"
The main reason why Korean kimchi is difficult to enter China is that China has strict hygiene standards for imported food.
China classifies Korean kimchi as a pickled vegetable food, and the sampling inspection standard is that each unit of food must not detect more than 10 E. coli colonies. For the traditional Korean kimchi production process, it is difficult to fully meet such hygienic standards.
In 2013, Korean kimchi exports to China fell to an alarming bottom. In order to create a high-end brand image and improve the recognition of Korean kimchi in Chinese-speaking areas, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of South Korea decided to name Korean kimchi "Xinqi" as its Chinese name.
Korean kimchi is marketed in the English-speaking world as "Kimchi" (also known as "Kimichi"), which is similar to the Korean pronunciation. It has accumulated a good reputation over the years. The Chinese name "Xinqi" is obviously intended to copy the concept in Europe and the United States. success.
▲English food blog introduces the dietary value of Korean kimchi
The staff of the Korean Embassy in China explained that due to the lack of a unified name for kimchi in the Chinese-speaking world, China mostly calls it " General names such as "Chinese cabbage kimchi", "spicy cabbage" or "Korean kimchi", Koreans believe that the Chinese name "Xinqi" is helpful to emphasize the uniqueness and inherent nature of Korean kimchi.
At the same time, the pronunciation of "Xinqi" is the same as "Xinqi" in Chinese, which can give people the impression of "slightly spicy but novel and delicious food from Korea".
The Korea Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Distribution Corporation hoped to apply for the trademark name "Xinqi" in China. However, six months after the naming trial, Chinese consumers' acceptance of "Xinqi" was very low, and most of the related promotion plans were shelved.
Documents from the Korea Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Distribution Corporation indicate that Chinese cabbage is the most important raw material for Korean kimchi. However, in order to cooperate with the marketing of "Xinqi", the agency once changed the raw material ingredients to "Xinqi kimchi".
Unfortunately, these carefully prepared marketing plans failed to substantially increase the popularity of Korean kimchi in the Chinese market.
Korean kimchi culture is gradually lost
So far, the UNESCO Human Heritage List contains a total of 7 food cultural heritages. Korean kimchi is just like French cuisine and Mediterranean cuisine. Food, etc. are also listed among them.
In the process of South Korea’s application for World Heritage, what was emphasized was not the craftsmanship and flavor of kimchi, but the connotation of “winter kimchi culture”.
Korean aunts are used to teaching their daughters-in-law how to make kimchi step by step, as an important tradition to promote the harmonious family relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Gwangju, the "hometown of kimchi" in South Korea, holds a month-long kimchi festival every year.