Within the early 2000s, Korean corn canine grew to become a sensation as a road meals snack in South Korea. Whereas People are accustomed to corn canine, what makes the Korean model particular is the creativity and customization that goes into each concoction.
The fundamentals are the identical (a scorching canine on a stick) however the snack then will get a hefty coating of batter that’s deep-fried for a crispy exterior which is additional embellished with coatings—from potato cubes to crispy rice and extra. And the within isn’t all the time a meaty scorching canine, both, as some Korean corn canine are constructed round a stick of mozzarella cheese.
Unlimeat/Intagram
If all of this sounds fascinating however not very vegan, you’re in luck as a result of this month, Korean corn canine chain Two Fingers added its first plant-based scorching canine made in partnership with South Korean model Unlimeat.
At its greater than 60 places, the franchise is now serving vegan corn canine, full with vegan batter, filled with Unlimeat’s newly launched plant-based sausage.
Based in 2019, Two Fingers has been searching for a vegan possibility for almost a full yr and partnered with Unlimeat after CEO Paul Yoo was impressed with its merchandise.
“Two Fingers has been searching for an appropriate vegan sausage product as a filling for his or her Korean-style corn canine for a very long time and determined to companion with us straight away after tasting a pattern of our product,” Jei Oh, Director of Model Technique at Unlimeat, tells VegNews.
South Korea’s vegan meat chief
Unlimeat is a number one vegan meat model in South Korea. In 2021, it raised $23 million in funding and introduced plans for a brand new 97,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, one of many largest plant-based manufacturing facilities in Asia.
What units Unlimeat aside from different meat alternate options is that it makes use of would-be wasted grains, oats, and nuts with slight aesthetic imperfections, Unlimeat upcycles these components to create their merchandise, which embody sausages, pepperoni, tuna, pulled pork, and deli meats.
Unlimeat is an element of a bigger South Korean meals firm known as Zikooin. Established in 2017, the guardian firm is actively working to make Unlimeat out there in worldwide supermarkets and foodservice institutions.
In South Korea, Unlimeat’s merchandise may be discovered at some main worldwide fast-food manufacturers and its partnership with Two Fingers represents a milestone for the rising model. “To this point, Unlimeat has partnered with American manufacturers coming into Korea, reminiscent of Subway and Domino’s, serving to them present plant-based choices in Korea, however that is the primary time that now we have supplied plant-based merchandise to a franchise model based mostly in america,” Oh mentioned.
“It’s much more significant for us to collaborate with a model that has a relationship with Korean meals tradition,” she mentioned.
And Two Fingers’ new vegan sausage-stuffed corn canine are just the start of its collaboration with Unlimeat which is able to see different improvements on the menu, together with scorching canine filled with its plant-based mozzarella, cheddar, and a mixture of vegan cheese and sausages.
Unlimeat can be persevering with its enlargement within the US. Exterior of Two Fingers, the corporate’s vegan meats are at the moment additionally on the menu at Korean barbecue restaurant Jeong Yuk Jeom in Los Angeles and craft brewery Dokkaebier in Oakland, CA.
For the most recent vegan information, learn:
Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior Information Editor at VegNews and is all the time maintaining a tally of all issues vegan in her dwelling metropolis of San Francisco, CA and in all places else.
