What makes Korean food a social media sensation
Korean cuisine has transformed not just how we perceive food photography, but fundamentally altering the way restaurants and home cooks present their dishes. The visual appeal of Korean cuisine stems from its inherent emphasis on colour, texture, and arrangement.
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Traditional Korean dining features multiple side dishes, also known as banchan, presented simultaneously, creating naturally photogenic tablescapes that translate beautifully to social media platforms. This practice has influenced how content creators worldwide approach food styling.
Signature visual elements
Cheese pulls and stretchy textures
The widespread popularity of cheese in Korean cuisine largely stems from the influence of American military bases stationed in South Korea after the Korean War, where soldiers introduced them to cheese. The emergence of dishes like cheese dakgalbi and Korean corn cheese has spawned countless viral videos and the dramatic “cheese pull” visual became a popular trend, especially on social media, due to its satisfying aesthetic when melted cheese is stretched out.
Tablescaping and multiple dishes
The traditional Korean dining concept involves serving numerous dishes simultaneously in an organised yet abundant presentation. This organised chaos has influenced how food content creators arrange their shots, creating depth and visual interest that particularly appeals to Instagram’s square format. The beauty of Korean tablescaping lies in how it blends tradition, social connection, and visual artistry, making every meal feel special.
See also: The history of banchan, the heart of Korean dining
Interactive elements
Korean dining is highly interactive, emphasising communal eating and hands-on participation. Korean BBQ restaurants have mastered the art of performative dining, where the cooking process becomes part of the presentation. The sizzling of meat on grills and the theatrical serving of dishes like dolsot bibimbap have become popular video content formats across TikTok and Instagram Reels. Additionally, diners can mix and match various banchan and pair them with rice or main dishes, or eat bossam (boiled pork wraps) and jokbal (pig’s trotters) with their hands.
Impact on restaurant design and marketing
The social media success of Korean food presentations has prompted significant changes in how restaurants approach their design and service.
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Photography-friendly spaces
Korean food content often employs soft, diffused lighting that highlights textures while maintaining the vibrancy of ingredients and modern Korean restaurants are increasingly incorporating elements specifically designed for social media documentation. Seoul-based restaurant consultant Ji-hye Lee reports that 78 per cent of new Korean restaurants in major cities now consider “Instagram-worthy” lighting and backgrounds during their design phase.
Menu development
Restaurants are adapting their menus to include visually striking dishes that photograph well. Trendy foods get visually enhanced with cheese drizzles, gold flakes, or colourful sauces, making them Instagrammable. The popularity of rainbow-coloured dumplings and decorated bingsy (shaved ice desserts) demonstrates how social media aesthetics influence menu innovation.
Cultural exchange through visual storytelling
Korean food presentation on social media has facilitated cultural exchange in several ways.
Visual platforms have become effective tools for explaining Korean dining customs and etiquette. Content creators use the visual appeal of carefully arranged dishes to introduce cultural concepts and traditions.
Read more: Inside Korea’s street food scene: A journey through time and taste
The aesthetic principles of Korean food presentation have also influenced how other cuisines are presented on social media, with elements of Korean food photography increasingly appearing in presentations of Western dishes. This means creating and capturing visually exaggerated, hyper-aesthetic food items designed for viral success such as cotton candy-covered drinks, galaxy-themed desserts, and oversized sandwiches inspired by the mukbang culture.
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