Daesang officials pose on the opening day of its kimchi production facility in Los Angeles in March. Courtesy of Daesang

By Kim Jae-heun

Daesang has opened its first kimchi production facility in Los Angeles to meet increasing demand for the traditional Korean food in the United States, the company said, Tuesday. It also plans to ship kimchi made in the U.S. plant to Canada, Australia and European countries.

"The U.S. market is important for our globalization plan for kimchi products. Our American facility will help us cope flexibly with the global logistics crisis while strengthening the reach and development of the traditional staple food tailored to local tastes. Once our facility in Los Angeles becomes stable, we will build more plants in America," a Daesang official said.

Daesang is the first among Korean food companies to produce kimchi in America, as no other local firm has a kimchi production facility there. The firm invested 20 billion won ($16.39 million) to make 2,000 tons of kimchi every year, and it expects that it will achieve annual sales of 100 billion won by 2025.

In America, Daesang will not only offer the traditional style of kimchi, but also 10 new kinds that suit local palates including gluten-free and vegan kimchi.

The main ingredients of the kimchi products that are produced in America ― such as napa cabbage, daikon radish and green onions, will be procured locally. Daesang has already secured American suppliers for the food materials that it says can best realize the tastes of traditional and localized kimchi, through years of research of the local market.

Meanwhile, Daesang's exports of kimchi products skyrocketed by 131 percent from $29 million in 2016 to 67 million in 2021, recording an all-time high. The food company is responsible for over 40 percent of Korea's total kimchi exports.