'K-oil' draws global attention as hansik boom reaches traditional Korean cooking oils

"Just yesterday, an American and a Singaporean came in and bought sesame oil — they kept saying how nutty and fragrant it was. Foreigners are always surprised because it's so different from the oils they use back home."

At a mill inside Mangwon Market in Mapo-gu, Seoul, a press sits near the back of the shop, still dusted with residue left after oil is extracted from roasted sesame seeds. A bottle of domestic sesame oil sells for 30,000 won (about $19) — more than twice the price of Chinese-made sesame oil at 11,000 won — yet foreign buyers keep coming. "As more foreigners visit traditional markets, they're also finding their way to mills to buy freshly pressed oil," said Bae Cheol-gyu, who runs the shop.

While olive oil has grown dominant in South Korea, traditional Korean cooking oils are drawing international attention as "K-oil." Their deep, nutty aroma has become a draw, and they have recently emerged as a sought-after item at traditional markets.

The broader backdrop is the K-food wave spreading to traditional ingredients. Foreigners who try dishes like bibimbap or seasoned namul greens often grow curious about the Korean oils behind those rich, nutty flavors.

Shin Chang-ho, owner-chef of JOO Ok, a Korean fine-dining restaurant in New York, said traditional Korean oils are gaining recognition abroad for their distinctive aroma and flavor, riding the global popularity of hansik. Shin earned two Michelin stars in New York for his Korean cuisine.

Korean traditional oils stand out for their stronger nutty aroma and taste compared with other cooking oils, and that characteristic shapes how they are used. "While widely used oils abroad serve broad purposes — salad dressings, cooking — sesame oil and perilla oil are mainly used at the final stage of a dish to add fragrance," Shin said. Like the sesame oil stirred into bibimbap, they are finishing oils that add depth to a completed dish.

Sesame oil and perilla oil are used across Asia, not only in Korea. Sesame oil is common in China and Japan as well. According to a report by market research firm IndexBox, China was the world's top sesame oil consumer as of 2024.

Korean sesame oil, however, is known for its particularly strong, nutty flavor — a result of roasting the seeds at high temperatures. Chinese and Japanese sesame oils tend to be lighter in color and more subtle in aroma.

Perilla oil tells a different story: South Korea dominates its consumption by a wide margin. A report by market research firm Market Growth found that South Korea was the world's largest consumer of perilla oil in 2024, calling it the country that "leads the related market."

A new tourism trend has also fueled interest in traditional oils. Traditional markets such as Gwangjang Market in Seoul and Gukje Market in Busan have become tourist destinations where visitors seek out an authentic Korean experience, and the mills inside them have built a following by word of mouth. Visitors can smell the aroma of freshly pressed oil and take home bottles on the spot. As foreign purchases have grown, some shops now wrap individual bottles in bubble wrap so customers can carry them home safely.

Japanese visitors make up a large share of foreign buyers. Content pointing out the locations of mills inside Korean traditional markets has spread on Japanese social media. A YouTube video by Japanese singer Sashihara Rino drew particular attention: it shows her drizzling Korean sesame oil over ramyun after cooking it. "The aroma is different from Japanese products," she said. "It's freshly pressed, so it's really delicious."

Traditional oils pair well with noodle dishes like ramyun, too. "In summer, adding sesame oil to cold bibim ramyun makes it taste great," said Bae of World Cup Gireume.

How do these oils compare nutritionally? Set against olive oil — long regarded as a health food — Korean traditional oils differ in their omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acid profiles. Perilla oil's strength lies in omega-3: according to an Indian paper published in the international academic journal Advances in Traditional Medicine (2011), perilla oil contains more omega-3 than any other plant-based oil, at 54 to 64 percent.

Olive oil's main component is not omega-3 but omega-9, which accounts for 70 to 80 percent of its composition. Sesame oil contains 35 to 45 percent omega-9 and 40 to 45 percent omega-6.

"Perilla oil is attracting attention for its health benefits due to its high omega-3 content, while sesame oil is valued for its distinctive nutty aroma and various antioxidant compounds," Shin said.

Both oils also show potential for broader use in global cuisine. "Chefs are increasingly using perilla oil in Western dishes such as pasta, fish and salads, expanding the reach of traditional Korean oils," Shin said. "At our restaurant in New York, we don't limit ourselves to hansik — we combine these oils with a wide range of ingredients and express them in new ways."