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- Record-high competition ratio of 56:1… Winning dish "Kimpacho" selected after final round among eight contestants
- Kimchi recipes from professional chefs to home cooks draw attention
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Daesang's kimchi brand 'Jongga', together with the prestigious U.S. culinary school 'Institute of Culinary Education' and SF Globalize, successfully concluded the '2025 Jongga Kimchi Cook Off' in New York.
The Jongga Kimchi Cook Off is a global event held across the U.S., U.K., and France to showcase the appeal and excellence of kimchi worldwide. In the U.S., the competition has been co-hosted with the Institute of Culinary Education since 2020, drawing growing participation each year as contestants present increasingly diverse dishes featuring kimchi. This year, following successful events in France and the U.K., Daesang wrapped up the U.S. competition, further reinforcing Jongga's standing as a leading global kimchi brand.
The U.S. round of the Jongga Kimchi Cook Off took place on the 30th (local time) at New York campus of the Institute of Culinary Education. This year's contest featured the highest-ever competition rate of 56:1, with eight finalists selected to compete. Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds, including professional chefs, accountants, architects, and medical students, highlighting the strong interest in kimchi across the U.S. In particular, Steven Gao, a culinary influencer with 870,000 followers, joined as a special guest and presented recipes using Jongga's U.S.-exclusive Sanhowon Kimchi and Cucumber(Oi) Kimchi, drawing significant attention.
The judging panel included Richard La Marita, Lead Chef-Instructor of Culinary Arts at ICE, and Samantha Landwehr, Chef-Instructor at ICE, with guest judge Chef Sungchul Shim, who runs a fine dining Korean restaurant in New York. The judges evaluated each dish based on creativity, artistry, and harmony with kimchi, supported by their deep expertise in Korean cuisine.
The grand prize went to chef Zofia Gallick from Brooklyn for her dish "Kimpacho," a chilled soup made with Jongga Kimchi Sliced, tomato, cucumber, and jalapeño. The judges praised the dish for its vibrant flavors and textures. Second place went to Daniel Bologna for "Crispy Kimchi Jam Patty Melt," third place to Onyinyechi Attah for "Kimchi Juice Ayo," and the special Jongga Award was presented to Min Kyu Kim for "Cheung Fun Ssam."
Lead Chef-Instructor Richard La Marita commented, "The level of entries this year was remarkably high. Many dishes showed a deep understanding of kimchi's fermentation and used it in highly creative ways." Guest judge Chef Sungchul Shim added, "I never expected to see such variety and sophistication in kimchi-based dishes here in the U.S. It was clear that kimchi is being embraced and integrated into local food culture as a new culinary genre."
Oh Yeon-taek, Head of Daesang's Kimchi CIC, stated, "The tremendous interest in this year's competition reaffirmed that kimchi is becoming a familiar part of everyday life for American consumers. We will continue to promote Korean food globally through Jongga and O'food, ensuring people around the world can enjoy and connect with it."
Currently, Jongga products are distributed in more than 80 countries worldwide, with the U.S. rising to the No.1 export market for Jongga kimchi since 2023. To meet rapidly growing demand, Jongga established a large-scale kimchi factory in Los Angeles in 2022, the first of its kind by a Korean food company, and has since been producing a variety of products tailored to local food culture. As the world's No.1 packaged kimchi brand, Jongga is also actively expanding consumer touchpoints by hosting cooking competitions, participating in music festivals, and running food truck campaigns to showcase the excellence and versatility of kimchi to global audiences.
About Daesang Corporation
Founded in 1956, Daesang Corporation has been one of the world's largest producers of fermented food products for over 60 years, and has grown to be the global leading Korean based food company by operating global brands such as Jongga, and O'Food which provides sauce, ready-to-eat meals, and many more products. Headquartered in South Korea, the company has also manufacturing subsidiaries in United States, Poland, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Visit www.daesang.com/en for more information.
- Record-high competition ratio of 56:1… Winning dish "Kimpacho" selected after final round among eight contestants
- Kimchi recipes from professional chefs to home cooks draw attention
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Daesang's kimchi brand 'Jongga', together with the prestigious U.S. culinary school 'Institute of Culinary Education' and SF Globalize, successfully concluded the '2025 Jongga Kimchi Cook Off' in New York.
The Jongga Kimchi Cook Off is a global event held across the U.S., U.K., and France to showcase the appeal and excellence of kimchi worldwide. In the U.S., the competition has been co-hosted with the Institute of Culinary Education since 2020, drawing growing participation each year as contestants present increasingly diverse dishes featuring kimchi. This year, following successful events in France and the U.K., Daesang wrapped up the U.S. competition, further reinforcing Jongga's standing as a leading global kimchi brand.
The U.S. round of the Jongga Kimchi Cook Off took place on the 30th (local time) at New York campus of the Institute of Culinary Education. This year's contest featured the highest-ever competition rate of 56:1, with eight finalists selected to compete. Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds, including professional chefs, accountants, architects, and medical students, highlighting the strong interest in kimchi across the U.S. In particular, Steven Gao, a culinary influencer with 870,000 followers, joined as a special guest and presented recipes using Jongga's U.S.-exclusive Sanhowon Kimchi and Cucumber(Oi) Kimchi, drawing significant attention.
The judging panel included Richard La Marita, Lead Chef-Instructor of Culinary Arts at ICE, and Samantha Landwehr, Chef-Instructor at ICE, with guest judge Chef Sungchul Shim, who runs a fine dining Korean restaurant in New York. The judges evaluated each dish based on creativity, artistry, and harmony with kimchi, supported by their deep expertise in Korean cuisine.
The grand prize went to chef Zofia Gallick from Brooklyn for her dish "Kimpacho," a chilled soup made with Jongga Kimchi Sliced, tomato, cucumber, and jalapeño. The judges praised the dish for its vibrant flavors and textures. Second place went to Daniel Bologna for "Crispy Kimchi Jam Patty Melt," third place to Onyinyechi Attah for "Kimchi Juice Ayo," and the special Jongga Award was presented to Min Kyu Kim for "Cheung Fun Ssam."
Lead Chef-Instructor Richard La Marita commented, "The level of entries this year was remarkably high. Many dishes showed a deep understanding of kimchi's fermentation and used it in highly creative ways." Guest judge Chef Sungchul Shim added, "I never expected to see such variety and sophistication in kimchi-based dishes here in the U.S. It was clear that kimchi is being embraced and integrated into local food culture as a new culinary genre."
Oh Yeon-taek, Head of Daesang's Kimchi CIC, stated, "The tremendous interest in this year's competition reaffirmed that kimchi is becoming a familiar part of everyday life for American consumers. We will continue to promote Korean food globally through Jongga and O'food, ensuring people around the world can enjoy and connect with it."
Currently, Jongga products are distributed in more than 80 countries worldwide, with the U.S. rising to the No.1 export market for Jongga kimchi since 2023. To meet rapidly growing demand, Jongga established a large-scale kimchi factory in Los Angeles in 2022, the first of its kind by a Korean food company, and has since been producing a variety of products tailored to local food culture. As the world's No.1 packaged kimchi brand, Jongga is also actively expanding consumer touchpoints by hosting cooking competitions, participating in music festivals, and running food truck campaigns to showcase the excellence and versatility of kimchi to global audiences.
About Daesang Corporation
Founded in 1956, Daesang Corporation has been one of the world's largest producers of fermented food products for over 60 years, and has grown to be the global leading Korean based food company by operating global brands such as Jongga, and O'Food which provides sauce, ready-to-eat meals, and many more products. Headquartered in South Korea, the company has also manufacturing subsidiaries in United States, Poland, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Visit www.daesang.com/en for more information.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Daesang's Jongga Concludes 2025 "Jongga Kimchi Cook Off" in the U.S. with Great Success
Over 15,000 visitors to the INCHEON–IFEZ Booth; IFEZ supported a record 50 innovation companies participating in CES 2026.
Participating companies secure a foundation for global expansion, including 20 MoU signings.
INCHEON, South Korea, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) announced the successful operation of the INCHEON–IFEZ Booth at CES 2026, presenting IFEZ's future-city vision and the technologies of Incheon-based innovators to a global audience.
Under the theme "Destination Incheon — From Smart City to AI City," the booth highlighted a sustainable urban future enabled by Incheon companies' innovations and drew more than 15,000 visitors, according to IFEZ.
During CES 2026, IFEZ also met with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) to discuss support measures and collaboration models for helping Incheon startups enter the U.S. market. The two sides plan to develop practical joint programs through continued cooperation.
IFEZ supported a record 50 companies at CES 2026 across multiple participation tracks, dividing them across various exhibition areas: 10 companies in the 'INCHEON-IFEZ' Booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, 10 in the Korea pavilion (KOTRA) at the Eureka Park, 6 in the Global Pavilion, and 15 as the Incheon Startup Park Delegation and 10 Innovation Award showcase participants.
These companies achieved record-breaking results, conducting 1,419 business consultations with overseas buyers and investors, with the estimated value of export consultations reaching $560 million—more than 400 additional meetings compared to last year. In addition, nine companies signed 20 MOUs, building momentum for global expansion and investment opportunities.
Leadpoint System, a smart manufacturing and industrial automation solutions provider, signed an MOU with Webtronic Labs, a U.S.-based technology R&D company.
emCT, which specializes in fire detection and safety management solutions, signed an MOU with Texas Legacy Realty, a Texas-based real estate development and operations company, to pursue collaboration on applying fire safety and "safe zone" solutions in commercial and residential buildings.
Medicell Healthcare, a regenerative medicine and bio-healthcare solutions company, signed an MOU with the City of Phoenix, Arizona's largest city, and discussed cooperation on technology collaboration and local proof-of-concept initiatives in public healthcare.
IFEZ said 14 supported companies earned 17 CES Innovation Awards, the highest total to date for Incheon, drawing strong interest from global buyers and investors. Deep Fusion AI received a Best of Innovation honor for its radar-based sensor-fusion AI technology, gaining attention in next-generation autonomous driving and robotic perception.
Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said the CES participation advanced the Incheon–IFEZ AI City vision on the global stage and pledged continued support to expand Incheon companies' international reach and strengthen Incheon as a global business hub.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
INCHEON-IFEZ Booth Wraps Up a Successful CES 2026, Recording $560M in Export Consultations and 17 Innovation Awards
