South Korea has embraced a growing peanut butter trend, incorporating the spread in everything from smoothies to coffee, and even mixing it with traditional Korean ingredients like chili paste and soybean paste.
A specialty café in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, is at the forefront of this peanut butter phenomenon. The PCafe has garnered attention for its wide selection of peanut butter products, including a fresh, 100% peanut butter option made right before customers’ eyes.
According to staff, some patrons purchase as many as 30 jars at a time, with about half of their customers being middle-aged. Younger visitors also frequent the café, captivated by the trend. A woman in her fifties, who visited with her daughter on February 18, shared, “Spreading peanut butter on apples has become trendy, so we decided to try it.” She purchased a jar to take home.
Once considered unfamiliar, peanut butter is now a kitchen staple in South Korea. This shift began in 2024 when TV personality Choi Hwa-jung appeared on a YouTube channel and showcased her breakfast of apples paired with peanut butter. This combination is already popular in the U.S. and other countries, where the sweetness of apples complements the nutty richness of peanut butter.
The perception of peanut butter as a healthy food option has significantly contributed to its rise in popularity. Sales have surged, with figures from online shopping platform Market Kurly revealing that sales in 2024 were five times higher than the previous year. The health benefits, particularly its ability to help regulate blood sugar levels, have aligned with trends like blood sugar management diets and the “healthy pleasure” lifestyle.
Peanut butter, traditionally viewed as a high-calorie food unsuitable for dieting, is now praised for its healthy fats and protein content. Historically, it was recommended in U.S. nursing homes in the 1890s as a soft, high-protein food for elderly adults with dental issues. Additionally, the widely distributed emergency food product Plumpy’nut, made from peanuts, underscores the value of peanut butter as a nutrient-dense, high-calorie food.
“Peanuts are rich in protein and unsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for vascular health,” says Professor Hwang Hee-jin of Catholic Kwandong University International St Mary’s Hospital in Incheon, just outside Seoul. “When paired with apples, peanut butter helps slow the rise in blood sugar caused by apples, reducing the risk of blood sugar spikes.”
However, moderation is important. “Peanut butter doesn’t directly lower blood sugar. Its high fat content can make you feel full and reduce overall food intake, but its calorie density makes it unsuitable as a diet food,” warns Professor Kang Jae-heon of Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul. U.S. nutritionists recommend a daily intake of about two tablespoons, or 16 to 32 grams.
Peanut butter’s versatility has sparked a wave of creative recipes circulating on social media. Popular dishes include peanut butter banana smoothies, peanut butter coffee, and peanut butter mixed with bread, yogurt, and nuts.
“There are countless ways to enjoy peanut butter, and it appeals to both kids and adults,” says Kim Hyun-jin, a 36-year-old homemaker. “It’s so easy to mix with other foods that we end up eating it frequently.”
Innovative combinations are also emerging, as South Koreans are pairing peanut butter with traditional ingredients like doenjang (soybean paste) and gochujang (red chili paste). Social media users are sharing recipes such as peanut butter-gochujang stir-fried squid, doenjang peanut butter salad, and doenjang peanut butter ssamjang (a dipping sauce made from both doenjang and gochujang).
Chef Edward Lee, recognized for his appearance on the Netflix show Culinary Class Wars, recently featured on Edward Lee’s Country Cook on tvN in South Korea, where he prepared a chicken dish using peanut butter, doenjang, and soy milk.
“Influencers on YouTube are accelerating the spread of lifestyle trends,” says Choi Ji-hye, a researcher at Seoul National University’s Consumer Trend Analysis Center and co-author of 2025 Trend Korea. “Consumers are now increasingly focused not only on the taste of food but also on its ingredients and health benefits. The ‘healthy pleasure’ trend is expected to continue shaping food choices in Korea.”
This article was originally published in The Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, and translated by a generative AI system.
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