Buzz
One affordable way to experience global flavors is by ordering takeout. Famous cuisines like Chinese and Italian have global recognition, but the world's most popular cuisine may surprise even the most seasoned food lovers.
As reported by Time Out, Korean dishes have taken the lead as the most popular cuisine across the globe, at least on the internet. The Bucket List Company, a travel agency, measured global culinary engagement based on social media posts tagged with different cuisines. Korean food surpassed all others, including Italian, Mexican, Japanese, and Indian.
Although Korean restaurants are not as widespread in the U.S. as Chinese ones, with 45,000 Chinese restaurants operating in 2016, Chinese food ranks sixth in social media popularity. In comparison, Korean cuisine’s online engagement surged by 90% in 2021, according to analytics firm Spoonshot, indicating its rising popularity despite fewer available restaurants.
The growing global appeal of Korean cuisine can be attributed, in part, to its visibility on social media. Influential chefs like Maangchi on YouTube and @thekoreanvegan on TikTok have garnered massive followings by showcasing Korean dishes. If the trend continues, dishes like japchae might eventually become more common worldwide than traditional pasta dishes like spaghetti and meatballs.
Here are the 10 most popular world cuisines based on social media engagement:
- Korean
- Italian
- Mexican
- Japanese
- Indian
- Chinese
- Thai
- Vietnamese
- Filipino
- Turkish
