A Survey of Americans’ Perception and Consumption Behavior of Kimchi

This study examined the perception and consumption patterns of Kimchi among consumers living in major American cities, Los Angeles (LA) and New York (NY), to provide a basis for the development of internationalization strategies of the Kimchi industry. An online survey was conducted among 450 participants (270 from each city) from March 18 to 26, 2021. The survey included questions on Kimchi awareness, consumption experience, preferred types of Kimchi, and purchasing and consumption behaviors. The results showed that the most common way Americans first became aware of Kimchi was through visiting Korean restaurants (30.2%), followed by social media channels (19.1%) and Korean acquaintances (15.6%). The expected benefits of Kimchi consumption were primarily ‘promotes gut health’ (60.4%) and ‘improve immunity’ (57.8%). Regarding the type of Kimchi preferred, 61.5% preferred cabbage Kimchi. When considering essential factors for purchasing Kimchi, taste (34.8%) and price (28.6%) were the most important in the LA area, while taste (49.6%) and main raw materials (34.8%) were prioritized in the NY area. Asian noodle dishes were mentioned most frequently as foods that pair well with Kimchi. These findings are expected to help understand American consumers’ perceptions and consumption patterns of Kimchi. They can be used as foundational data for developing strategies to expand the global Kimchi industry.