Chungjungwon’s Koguma Chew which the affiliate of Daesang Group introduced in 2013 to join the booming snacks market in Korea, which was followed by “Chew and Crispy” made with roasted beans riding on the immense popularity of Koguma Chew.(Photos: Chungjungwon)

Snack products made with sweet potatoes and potatoes with no additives have become a popular choice for health-conscious consumers lately.

Thanks to changes in consumer preferences for snacks, the market for snacks got a big boost in recent years, jumping to 670 billion won in 2014 from 330 billion won in 2010, according to industry data.

Chungjungwon of Daesang Co. entered the snack business in 2013 with the introduction of “Koguma (sweet potato) Chew,” which is made only with sweet potatoes. The company boils sweet potatoes and dries them, without any additives, so they can be a “pure” health food item. It’s became a popular product, attracting consumers with its gumminess and sweet taste, especially among health-conscious women.

Encouraged by the popularity of Koguma Chew, the company went on to introduce new snack products in its so-called “Chew and” series of snacks, with such farm produces as roasted chestnuts and persimmons.

The company then introduced the “Chew and Crispy” series of snacks. The first in the new series was a snack made with roasted beans. The beans were roasted slowly in a low-temperature to maintain the original taste of the beans in tact, along with its crispiness. The company also used prunes. They were also roasted slowly in a low temperature without the seeds so the consumer can “feel” the crispy textures of the prunes as they chew them.

The “Two and a Half Asian Show” joined the fun by demonstrating South Korean snacks. Three people, Tom, Jonny and Joe, rated and presented ads for the snacks. The first snack was called SamYang Topokki, a stir-fried cylinder-shaped rice dipped in red pepper paste. Next was the Crunch Ball Crispy Candy, a peanut-brittle-like candy. Then there’s Corn Cho, a cheesy puff snack with milk chocolate coating on the other side of each puff. Next on the list was a healthy snack called Chungjungwon or Dried Sweet Potato Chew. Then there’s Lotte’s Pepero White Cookie, which everyone gave a perfect 10 rating. The gang also tried the white-chocolate flavored Mini Rolly Crepe and Lotte’s chocolate-dipped biscuits called Choco Pie. The last snack was red bean mochi, which they rated 1.5 out of 10. 

Becoming a ‘Company that Creates a Happy Future Through Healthy Food Culture’ “We thank our customers for their steady support,” Daesang said. “Founded in 1959 entirely with Korean capital and technology, we have been a leader in Korea's food culture over the past half century. We have worked to value human dignity and self respect, create customer satisfaction and value, and contribute to family happiness and society.”

Constantly embracing change, Daesang aims to become a “company that creates a happy future through healthy food culture” by focusing on growth industries such as fermentation, starches, the general food product industry and the health industry as a whole. In this rapidly-developing era of limitless competition, Daesang is striving to become a company with top-level technology, quality, and service competitiveness. 

“We will improve profitability through sustained management innovation, pursue growth by creating new profit sources, and create a thriving company culture to become a ‘company that creates a happy future through healthy food culture,’” the company notes. “We ask for your continued interest and support.” 

Miwon, which has been widely known as the representative fermented seasoning brand in Korea, is the company’s signature MSG product. MSG is one of the amino acids that constitute the Mono Sodium Glutamate protein, which is abundantly found in natural foods such as beans, cheese, rice, milk, beef and kelp. MSG not only exists inside our bodies but also is one of the elements that our body produces in muscles and brain parenchyma, and it is a fermentation product that utilizes microorganisms, which can be found in kimchi, soybean paste, red pepper paste and yogurt. Miwon of Daesang, which has been produced over 60 years of fermentation technology, is safe and highly effective in enhancing flavor and has the effect of increasing savory taste when mixing nucleic acid at an optimal level, the company claims.

To practice “a life of togetherness” and fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Daesang Corporation established a Social Contribution Team in March 2006, through which it is actively carrying out various community-focused activities.

Daesang Corporation’s CSR slogan is “the happiness that becomes tastier when shared,” and encourages its employees to voluntary and active participate in its CSR activities in such areas as volunteer services, donation relays and charity bazaars. 

The company carries out various CSR activities more than once per month. Some of its CSR has included free meal services and facility visitation services for the underprivileged and the neglected. About 50 Chungjungone Social Service Teams have been formed that consist of the sales and staff from each Daesang plant. They operate programs such as the Wage Change Program, One Thousand Won Donation Relay, Individual Reward Donation and Corporate Matching Grant.