Summer is approaching, and when it comes to summer in Korea, one must think of bingsu(shaved ice dessert), right?
Among them, patbingsu(Red bean with shaved ice) has been a beloved snack in Korea for a long time. Patbingsu is also known as a popular summer treat in Japan and China. According to Marco Polo's "The Travels of Marco Polo(東方見聞錄)," the origin of bingsu dates back to around 3000 BC in China, where people mixed snow and ice with honey and fruit juice. This tradition has continued over the years, and whether you're in Korea, Japan, or China, you can enjoy bingsu in the summer.
Today, I'll introduce a bingsu brand from Korea. It's probably a brand that Asians have heard of at least once, and if you've traveled to Korea, you've probably heard of it too. Established in 2013, it's none other than "Sulbing," which has grown into a huge company in just 10 years.
The founder of "Sulbing" majored in food nutrition in Korea and went to Japan to gain knowledge. After studying baking techniques and food coordination courses for two years, the founder realized something. Japan is a country where traditional desserts have evolved into gourmet foods, loved even by the younger generation. The founder dreamt of elevating traditional Korean desserts to a gourmet level in Korea.
Founder of Sulbing, Jung Sun-hee
In 2010, the founder opened a fusion rice cake cafe in Busan and developed "Injeolmi Sulbing" using traditional Korean rice cakes, which became a hit. Finally, in 2013, the legend began with the registration and opening of "Sulbing."
Why did she focus on rice cakes instead of other desserts? It all started because her father had diabetes, so she started making rice cake desserts made from rice, which can be eaten even by those with diabetes. The college student who used to make rice cakes for her dad's diabetes is now the founder of Sulbing.
Thus, Sulbing opened over 480 chain stores in just one year and expanded to 16 countries. Sulbing has now established itself as a global company. It's not just the global success story of a single company; it's a phenomenon that shows how beloved bingsu is worldwide.
One of Sulbing's successful globalization strategies are localization. In Thailand and Cambodia, they sell durian bingsu. Moreover, in Thailand and Cambodia, using local mangoes has made their mango bingsu even tastier than Korean ones. In Japan, they temporarily sold a strawberry parfait menu, which was a huge success, accounting for 25% of their sales in Japan in 2019.
Sulbing in Tokyo
Durian bingsu
Of course, there were challenges during overseas expansion. They faced trouble in Japan when a company they had a master franchise agreement with went bankrupt, resulting in the closure or suspension of Sulbing stores. (They have now made agreements with other companies and are operating well.) In China, they faced trouble due to a similar trademark issue.
Guangzhou Sulbing
The international success of Sulbing is attributed by many experts to "excellent quality" above all. They talk about how Sulbing's success lies in offering not just simple desserts but high-quality food made from high-quality ingredients. You can gauge the quality by looking at the menu photos. Sulbing doesn't have any simple-looking bingsu menu items. This was a big shock to Koreans as well, who used to think of patbingsu as a simple dessert.
Moreover, even the ice, the basis of bingsu, is different. While ordinary bingsu is made from shaved ice, Sulbing uses milk ice shaved like snow, which is smooth and flavorful.
They're also very active in seasonal planning. Earlier this year, they collaborated with Haagen-Dazs to release a strawberry menu. In 2023, they collaborated with the famous chocolate brand Loacker. In addition to various confectionery companies, they also collaborate with gaming companies to showcase a variety of planned products. They not only sell bingsu but also various desserts such as tteokbokki, honey bread, and takoyaki.
They've even made bold moves, releasing Injeolmi and black sesame latte in convenience stores, and launching an Injeolmi-flavored beer.
Sulbing Beer
Sulbing promotes itself as a "Korean Dessert Café" and aims to globalize healthy Korean desserts. This goal is not just a catchphrase; Sulbing is making efforts to put it into practice. For Injeolmi, they use 100% domestically grown glutinous rice, and they cook red bean paste using the traditional Korean method, while using strawberries from Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do.
With great taste, innovative ideas, and a strong brand philosophy, it seems there's no reason why such a brand wouldn't succeed. If you ever come to Korea, be sure to try Sulbing.
All photos from Sulbing