Riani Kenyon is a caffeinated Zillennial who is hopelessly addicted to The Sims 4 and binge-watches her latest anime obsession when she’s not busy bopping to early 2000’s K-pop. Beyond being a nerd, she has worked on initiatives for the UN Academic Impact and the UK Model WHO, and also explored politics while interning at the House of Commons.


Border Reorder

 is expanding into the home cooking space, providing restaurant-quality ingredients to at-home foodies with 

. Momofuku is a chain of restaurants started by David Chang in NYC in 2004 that has since spread throughout the US, with Chang’s hit Netflix show 

 cementing his cultural clout in the food space and bringing greater brand awareness to his restaurant adventures. 

 with being a force in “the rise of contemporary Asian-American cuisine” by 

 and named the “most important restaurant in America” by 

The brand has just raised $17.5 million in funding to help it expand into a household name through its home goods and product lines: “We spent a decade testing and developing our pantry essentials, ensuring that they were up to the standards we uphold in our restaurants,” Chang said in a statement. “With this investment, I’m looking forward to bringing even more flavor to home cooks’ kitchens.” 

Retail Dive

Momofuku has been instrumental in making Asian cuisines popular throughout the US over the past 20 years, so it makes sense that it's now expanding into goods for home cooks. The organization’s products include black truffle chilli crunch, air-dried noodles, soy sauce, and seasoned salts, aimed at foodies and Asian-food home cooks. The allure comes from their tasty products and their bright and fun approach to cooking, with a focus on quality and experimentation that promises to redefine what the American pantry can be.

Cooking Asian food at home is becoming demystified thanks to simple language on social media, which is losing the kind of mystification that kept people from attempting it in the past. Chinese recipes are the most Googled by Americans, with an average of 3.35 million monthly searches 

Quality Assurance & Food Safety

Younger Americans are turning to social media for cooking inspiration – 37% of Gen Yers and 38% of Gen Zers say they feel encouraged to try new flavors they’ve discovered on apps like Instagram and TikTok. 

T. Hasegawa

 This has been encouraged by a wave of new creators. 

 leans into the short video form of TikTok by showcasing quick, easy recipes that illustrate how Chinese home cooking is approachable, and 

 combines Gen Z editing and humor with old-school knowledge to appeal to younger audiences. 

 takes a more vulnerable approach by sharing personal backstories to the recipes she makes, with a vegan twist on classic Asian dishes. Gen Y is particularly interested in online cooking content – 31% watch cooking content weekly. 

YPulse

Foodies want high-quality, at-home ingredients

Lockdown left many people hungry for more culinary experiences once restaurants opened up, with 77% of Gen Y travelers saying they take trips to enjoy memorable eating and drinking experiences. 

Fona

However, now there is a shift to recreate restaurant-level experiences at home due to the cost of living crisis. This is driving a search for authentic, high-quality ingredients – as indicated by 24% of Gen Z Americans claiming authenticity as the third most important factor in deciding which foods to buy, not far behind taste and price. 

RetailWire

’s Chili Crisp sauce is incredibly popular among Gen Y and Z in the US, driven by shareability on social media, while 

 offers high-quality Japanese ingredients for US consumers, and 

 olive oil demonstrates the appeal of high-quality ingredients to home cooks.

Even though a fun approach to recipe creation and sharing appeals to younger generations, as seen in 38% of Gen Zers who said they’re motivated to try new flavours from social media recommendations, cooking fatigue still impacts younger people. 

This interest in trying new cuisines caused 69% of Gen Yers to be more willing to experiment with food and drink during the pandemic, but by late 2021 a third of adults said they were tired of cooking for themselves and their households. 

People

SWNS

 in the US points to the appeal of previously underrated cuisines, and 

 are lowering the barrier to entry for experimentation. Similarly, the 

 Instagram account is showing under-celebrated foods across the tri-state area that encompasses parts of New York and other nearby states, focusing on cuisines that don’t get the same lip service.

Thanks to demystifying content creators and easy-to-follow recipes on social media, people are more interested in cooking Asian flavours at home. Amid the pandemic, 69% of Gen Yers and 65% of Gen Xers looked to new cuisines to explore different cultures during lockdowns. 

 Leaning into this curiosity for new cuisines means providing options to diversify home cooks’ palettes through trending tastes. Momofuku Goods is doing so by offering new and novel food experiences that allow people who choose to cook at home to become better embedded in food cultures and communities.

Even though people are hungry for more experiences, the cost of living crisis is impacting household budgets with 23% of Americans facing serious rises in grocery costs. 

GOBankingRates

 However, people are looking for indulgent yet affordable restaurant-quality ingredients and cupboard staples that elevate home-cooked meals. This indicates a chance to step up to the plate and cater to the appetite of consumers who want to recreate restaurant-worthy experiences from the comfort of their own homes through a twist on cupboard staples.

People are interested in unconventional flavours, and the opportunity for brands is to look to expand the range of tastes they offer to help aid experimentation and a desire to try under-the-radar and overlooked cuisines. This is evident in the adoption and playfulness with sweets such as 

. However, this goes beyond East Asian foods, as seen in the 

flavours capturing the hearts and stomachs of Americans, while across the pond in the UK, the country’s 

 continues to influence British food culture.

 of US Gen Zers claim authenticity is the most important factor in deciding which foods to buy

 of Gen Yers watch cooking content weekly

 of Gen Xers looked to new cuisines as a means of exploring different cultures during COVID-19 lockdowns

Momofuku’s allure is not only credited to its tasty products but also its fun approach to cooking with new flavours

Young people are turning to social media influencers for home-cooking inspiration and new food trends

People are experiencing cooking fatigue and are looking for new and novel ways to level up home cooking experiences

United States

Eating and Drinking

Momofuku Goods is going beyond restaurant dining by offering ingredients with flavours that feed experience-hungry Americans. By offering novel product combinations to stock home pastries, it’s helping to make cooking fun rather than a daunting or boring part of everyday life.

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