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Cardi B shares spicy tuna recipe, sparking renewed interest in Korean food

Published: 24 Oct. 2025, 12:20

U.S. rapper Cardi B eats Korean spicy tuna mixed with mayonnaise and chili sauce along with rice and gim (dried seaweed) in an Instagram Live session, as seen in an edit of the video. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Cardi B has ignited a new wave of enthusiasm for Korean food after sharing a live broadcast of herself eating spicy tuna from Korea.

During a recent Instagram Live session, the U.S. rapper said she had bought spicy tuna from H Mart — an American chain of Korean supermarkets — and demonstrated how she eats it. Mixing rice and spicy tuna with mayonnaise and chili sauce, she wrapped it all in gim (dried seaweed) and took a bite.

“Koreans are crazy,” she said as she twirled around in excitement. "It really tastes great. It's really a good meal," she said, recommending the dish to her fans.

An edited version of the video uploaded to YouTube has now surpassed 4 million views, drawing widespread attention from viewers globally.

Riding the trend, Dongwon F&B has expanded exports of its spicy tuna to 28 countries, including the United States, Japan, Vietnam and China.

This isn’t the first time Cardi B has fueled interest in Korean food. In March, she posted a TikTok video eating red ginseng, saying it made her feel more awake than coffee. The clip surpassed 1 million views in two weeks, sparking what was dubbed a “ginseng craze” overseas.

Singer Jennie shows off Nongshim's Banana Kick snack on The Jennifer Hudson Show. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Several Korean products have seen similar surges in popularity thanks to mentions by K-pop stars. BTS member RM once featured Pokémon bread on his Instagram, while Blackpink’s Jennie introduced Banana Kick snacks on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" (2022-) in the United States — turning both into must-buy items for foreign visitors to Korea.

Following Jennie’s mention of Banana Kick as her favorite Korean snack earlier this year, exports of the product to the United States jumped 69 percent in April compared to the previous month. Domestic sales rose by more than 40 percent as well.

Exports of Korean food have doubled over the past decade. Last year, Korean food exports totaled $7.02 billion, up from $3.5 billion ten years earlier, according to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea International Trade Association.

While instant noodles still lead the category with $1.36 billion in exports, global interest in ready-to-eat foods such as gimbap (seaweed rice rolls), tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and dumplings reached $980 million. Health foods including probiotics, red ginseng and ginseng totaled $820 million, while seasoned seaweed recorded $630 million and kimchi $180 million, all showing steady gains.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]