Fueled by a spring-cabbage bibimbap craze, the price of spring cabbage (hereafter spring cabbage) has climbed nearly 20% in a month.
According to the Korea Agricultural Marketing Information Service (KAMIS) on the 4th, the average wholesale price for 15 kg of spring cabbage (top grade) at Seoul's Garak Market the previous day was 44,739 won, up 19.5% from the prior month. On the 11th of last month, the same grade of spring cabbage hit a peak at 60,456 won, showing sharp price swings over the past month. At large supermarket chains, a head of spring cabbage that was around the 2,000-won range last year has recently topped 5,000 won.
Spring cabbage is a type of cabbage planted in winter, with major production centered on the relatively warm southwestern coast, including Wando and Jindo in South Jeolla Province. It is typically sown in open fields from late September to October and harvested from December through March of the following year. With softer leaves and a stronger sweetness than regular cabbage, it is a seasonal vegetable widely used for fresh kimchi and as an ingredient in bibimbap.
The recent price increase appears to be driven by the impact of "spring-cabbage bibimbap," which has trended largely on social media. A scene from the 2008 KBS 2TV show "2 Days & 1 Night," in which entertainer Kang Ho-dong made and ate spring-cabbage bibimbap on location in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province, has spread via algorithms on YouTube and social media, leading to wider sharing of the recipe. Online, spring-cabbage bibimbap recipes and proof photos are being posted one after another.
Conditions in producing areas also seem to have influenced the price rise. The South Jeolla region, a key spring-cabbage producing area, suffered cold damage just before the Lunar New Year holiday, temporarily reducing shipment volumes. With increased consumer demand layered on top of that, the price jump has grown larger. (☞ [Why] "Kang Ho-dong bibimbap" resurfaces after 18 years… Why spring cabbage in season suddenly got expensive)
An official at the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation said, "Due to the influence of social media and television, demand for spring cabbage has expanded significantly, enough to be felt even in producing regions."