{"id":12139,"date":"2026-10-28T22:26:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T22:26:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=12139"},"modified":"2026-10-28T22:26:50","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T22:26:50","slug":"french-food-brands-target-health-conscious-koreans-at-seoul-showcase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=12139","title":{"rendered":"French food brands target health-conscious Koreans at Seoul showcase"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The French food and beverage exhibition Food Experience 2026 takes place at the French Embassy in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-kyoung <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

French food and beverage brands gathered in Seoul to court health-conscious Korean consumers, with a record 19 companies taking part in Business France\u2019s Food Experience 2026 exhibition at the French ambassador\u2019s residence and the Kim Chung-up Pavilion, Monday.<\/p>\n

Now in its fifth year, Food Experience is a business-to-business event connecting French companies with Korean importers, distributors and food service industry professionals. Coinciding with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries this year, the event featured a record 19 brands, presenting a wide range of products, from those already available in Korea to brands yet to enter the market.<\/p>\n

A particular focus this year was on companies from Occitania, a major food-producing region in southern France with diverse landscapes stretching from the Mediterranean coast to the Pyrenees and inland agricultural areas.<\/p>\n

Among them was beverage brand Gopy, which showcased ginger drinks positioned as a milder alternative to Korean ginger.<\/p>\n

“In France, it is now like a fashion,” Anisa Maleck, Gopy’s export manager, said. “Koreans are also health-conscious, so we thought this exhibition would be a good opportunity to introduce our products.”<\/p>\n

Another Occitanie brand hoping to reach Korean consumers is Jean Herv\u00e9, which specializes in nut-based vegan spreads.<\/p>\n

“Koreans are familiar with sesame seeds and are very health-conscious, so we thought our low-sugar products could appeal to them,” said sales director Ludovic Guillot.<\/p>\n

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French artisanal pasta brand Maison P\u00e2tes Fabre presents its products at Food Experience 2026 at the French Embassy in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-kyoung <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though not from Occitania, French artisanal pasta brand Maison P\u00e2tes Fabre also targeted the wellness segment, showcasing some 50 varieties, including spirulina and gluten-free options. <\/p>\n

“We use traditional slow, low-temperature drying methods to preserve nutrients and flavor,” said Maison P\u00e2tes Fabre chairman, Julien Baucher, said.<\/p>\n

The event was not just a venue for French companies to explore the Korean market but also was a opportunity for Korean buyers and chefs to discover French ingredients and products.<\/p>\n

Tanzy Lee, chief marketing officer at specialty coffee brand Terarosa, said she attended the event to explore new ingredients, with the company already using French imports in many of its products. <\/p>\n

“I came to explore and source ingredients and desserts with a French-inspired style,” Lee said.<\/p>\n

Kim Kyung-yeon, raw material sourcing manager at Lotte Wellfood, said French products remain competitive because there are customers who prefer them.<\/p>\n

Chef Cho Won-jun of Flour Artisan Bakery, who won first place at the 2023 Le Pain Baguette Championship, considers the event a great gateway to items that can be hard to find in KOrea. This time, his interest was drawn by different cheeses and charcuterie paired with bread. <\/p>\n

“This kind of event is rare. I’d like to attend every year to discover more varieties and experience different food.”<\/p>\n

\"Food<\/picture>
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Food Experience 2026 takes place at the French Embassy in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-kyoung <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three brand atelier sessions took place, during which French culinary experts and chefs prepared a variety of dishes using ingredients from participating brands, highlighting the unique characteristics of each product and how they could be incorporated into restaurant menus.<\/p>\n

Chef Choi Min-kyu presented a creative dish using bottarga, or salt-cured fish roe, and pasta. <\/p>\n

“For the atelier session, I paired bottarga with aged pumpkin. Many people associate French cuisine with high-end, expensive ingredients, but bottarga is actually more affordable than sea urchin roe,” he explained, adding that the experience opened his eyes to new possibilities for French ingredients, despite his usual preference for Italian products.<\/p>\n

Business France said the expanded lineup was designed to showcase the depth and diversity of French agricultural and food products.<\/p>\n

“We hope the event provided an opportunity for Korean importers, distributors and food service industry professionals to explore the products firsthand and identify new opportunities for distribution partnerships and menu development,” it said in a statement.<\/p>\n

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The French food and beverage exhibition Food Experience 2026 takes place at the French Embassy in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-kyoung French food and beverage brands gathered in Seoul to court health-conscious Korean consumers, with a record 19 companies taking part in Business France\u2019s Food Experience 2026 exhibition at the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-korea","category-trending-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t