# Korean Street Food Takes Over Frozen Aisles

> TikTok viral kimbap sales surge as Korean food brands expand U.S. retail presence.
- Title: Korean Street Food Takes Over Frozen Aisles · Woman's World
- Summary: TikTok viral kimbap sales surge as Korean food brands expand U.S. retail presence. Trader Joe's kimbap sold out nationally after TikTok trends boosted…
- Keywords: kimbap, trader joe's, bibigo, korean street food, frozen food, tiktok trends, us retail, Korean, Street, Food, Takes, Frozen
- Source: Woman's World — https://womansworld.com/food-recipes/why-korean-street-food-is-taking-over-frozen-aisles-nationwide
- Author: Lauren Schuster
- Published: 2026-10-07T21:25:45+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kimbap, trader joe's, bibigo, korean street food, frozen food, tiktok trends, us retail
## Korean Street Food Gains Momentum
Korean street food dishes have moved from niche cravings to grocery-store staples in the past two years.
## TikTok Viral Moment
Trader Joe's kimbap sold out nationally after a TikTok review by Korean-American creator Sarah Ahn went viral in August 2023.
## Sarah Ahn's Perspective
Sarah Ahn said, 'My other viral videos that I have on my TikTok and Instagram were about me being bullied for kimbap when I was 5 years old. Now it’s being sold at Trader Joe’s and sold out.'

> My other viral videos that I have on my TikTok and Instagram were about me being bullied for kimbap when I was 5 years old. Now it’s being sold at Trader Joe’s and sold out.
## Retail Expansion
Bibigo, Kroger, Target, and Korea’s export machine are scaling frozen Korean food into a full-fledged retail category.
## Sales Growth
Bibigo frozen gimbap sales rose 59% from January to July this year compared with the same period last year.
## Retail Locations Surge
The number of retail locations carrying bibigo gimbap surged 145% from 1,924 stores last year to 4,734 stores this year.
## Production Expansion
CJ Foods completed its fully automated frozen gimbap production line in March of this year at its CJ Blossom Campus in Korea.
## What It Means for Shoppers
U.S. shoppers now have a wider menu of quick, healthy frozen meals that defrost in minutes and travel well.
## Key takeaway

Trader Joe's kimbap sold out nationally after TikTok trends boosted demand, driving Korean street food into mainstream frozen food aisles.