[Sponsored Report] New Yorkers get a taste for ginseng

The exterior, top, and interior of CheongKwanJang’s Cafe & Ginseng in New York. [KGC]

The CheongKwanJang store in New York City is going from strength to strength as the popularity of Korean red ginseng continues to grow overseas.

Red ginseng, considered a super food in Korea, is traditionally eaten for its medicinal properties, as well as being used as one of the main ingredients in samgyetang, a popular chicken soup commonly eaten during hot summer months.

Red ginseng is sold in Korea, stores throughout Asia and further afield, and is a staple of local duty-free shops. In 2018, the global market for the popular root was thought to be worth around $2 billion.

Cafe & Ginseng, CheongKwanJang’s New York store, has also grown in popularity over recent years. The store, found on the edge of the popular Koreatown neighborhood, was first opened in 2011 and has since become a popular local attraction.

Unlike a regular CheongKwanJang brand store, Cafe & Ginseng has its own cafe that serves red ginseng-based drinks, allowing American customers that might be less familiar with the root to taste it while browsing the various products sold on the site.

The cafe also offers a number of other dishes, including desserts that are made with red ginseng to boost its popularity in the trendsetting city.

Cafe & Ginseng’s black ginseng coffee and maple ginseng cappuccino are particularly popular among New Yorkers.

CheongKwanJang operates more than 40 stores in the United States, with sales constantly on the rise. The growing interest in Korean food and the popularity of ginseng as a superfood among American consumers have both helped to boost sales, and the Korea Ginseng Corporate plans to strengthen its marketing in the region to help continue that momentum.

BY KIM HA-EUN [kim.haeun@joongang.co.kr]