The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) have launched an initiative to target Spain, the hub of the Southern European market.

aT announced on the 27th that it participated in “Alimentaria 2026,” the Barcelona International Food Exhibition held in Barcelona, Spain, from the 23rd to the 26th, and achieved export consultation results totaling 204 cases worth USD 18.02 million.

Marking its 50th anniversary this year, the Barcelona International Food Exhibition is the largest food fair in Southern Europe, held biennially. As of 2024, more than 3,000 companies from around 70 countries and over 110,000 visitors attended. In particular, about 25% of visitors were overseas buyers, making the fair a key bridgehead for entering Spanish-speaking markets, including Latin America as well as Europe.

At this exhibition, the Ministry and aT organized a Korean Pavilion together with 10 leading K-food exporters. Fermented foods such as kimchi and gochujang, frozen ready-to-eat meals such as hot dogs and chicken breast, and products such as tofu noodles and protein snacks attracted visitors’ attention through tastings and business meetings.

The Korean Pavilion also hosted cooking shows featuring menus that combined Korean ingredients with local cuisine. Dishes included tortilla (Spanish omelet) served with kimchi sauce and crema catalana (Catalan-style pudding) flavored with yuja (yuzu).

The popularity of the Korean Pavilion translated into tangible results. Export consultation volume reached USD 18.02 million, a 15% increase compared with the USD 15.7 million in consultations two years earlier.

Jeon Gi-chan, Director of Export Food at aT, said, “In Europe, consumption of home meal replacements and health-conscious foods continues to expand,” adding, “We will continue to support the expansion of K-food exports by reflecting food consumption trends in the European market.”

Meanwhile, as of the end of last month, exports of Korean food to Spain amounted to USD 7.12 million, up 6.6% from a year earlier.

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