Korean street food has moved from specialty grocers and night markets into the mainstream frozen aisle. Kimbap, mandu and Korean BBQ bowls now stock shelves at Trader Joe’s, Target and Kroger. Here is what is driving the shift and where shoppers are finding it.
Why Is Korean Street Food Taking Over the Frozen Aisle?
Korean street food has become a fast-growing frozen category because viral social media moments and expanded retail distribution have pushed products like kimbap and bulogi bowls into mainstream American grocery stores.
The clearest breakout came in August 2023, when Trader Joe’s frozen kimbap sold out nationally after social media buzz met in-store scarcity. The frozen aisle, once dominated by TV dinners, has steadily diversified, and frozen versions of Korean favorites have been popping up everywhere in recent years. Trader Joe’s kimbap may have sparked the frenzy, but bibigo, mass retailers like Kroger and Target, and Korea’s export machine are turning frozen Korean convenience foods into a broader retail category.
What Is Kimbap, and Why Did Trader Joe’s Frozen Meals Version Go Viral?
Kimbap, also spelled gimbap, is a Korean seaweed and rice roll similar to Japanese sushi but made with cooked fillings rather than raw fish. It is typically served at room temperature, after the cooked rice and fillings cool.
The Trader Joe’s frozen version went viral in August 2023 largely thanks to a TikTok review posted by Korean-American creator Sarah Ahn, in which she and her mother tried the product.
“My other viral videos that I have on my TikTok and Instagram were about me being bullied for kimbap when I was 5 years old. Now it’s being sold at Trader Joe’s and sold out. That says a lot about how far we’ve come to have our culture be seen by others and accepted and consumed. It’s a crazy shift,” Ahn told NBC News. “Social media has definitely magnified the ability for different cultures and cuisines to be shared across the world.”
The appeal of frozen kimbap is easy to see. It stays frozen until use, then thaws in the microwave in minutes, making it a quick lunch for students or office workers who want more variety than the usual rotation of healthy frozen meals offers.
Where Can You Buy Frozen Korean Street Food Meals?
Target, Kroger and Trader Joe’s are the easiest places to find frozen Korean meals right now, with options ranging from Korean BBQ chicken bowls to kimbap.
Target’s current frozen inventory includes dozens of Korean dishes, including Korean BBQ chicken bowls and mandu, plus a range of Asian-fusion dishes with Korean influence. Bibigo entered Kroger in December 2024 and has since expanded to 10 major retail channels across the United States, according to BusinessKorea.
How Fast Are Bibigo Frozen Gimbap Sales Growing in the U.S.?
Sales of Bibigo frozen gimbap in the U.S. market rose 59 percent from January to July, compared with the same period a year earlier, according to BusinessKorea.
The number of retail locations carrying the product surged 145 percent, from 1,924 stores last year to 4,734, per BusinessKorea. CJ Foods, which owns the bibigo brand, also completed its fully automated frozen gimbap production line in March at its CJ Blossom Campus in Korea, the first of its kind in the country’s food industry.
“This goes beyond a simple capacity expansion. It is a strategic investment to accelerate the global expansion of K-food,” a CJ Foods representative said in a press release on the company’s website. “We are committed to growing bibigo Gimbap into a flagship K-gimbap brand worldwide.”
