Known for his award-winning gourmet food truck Kogi Korean BBQ, celebrity chef Roy Choi just launched a 10-snack collaboration with Target Corp. in its flagship Good & Gather line.
Starting May 31, the Minneapolis-based retailer offers the collection in nearly 1,800 stores across the country, featuring options across a range of taste profiles from wasabi-and-ranch-flavored popcorns to pineapple-infused meat sticks. Choi said in a statement that the snack package was inspired by his Korean American origins and “the mix of cultures” that shaped him.
“My food is about flavor, but it’s also about community and having fun. Snacks felt like the right space for that,” said Choi, who rolled out his Korean taco trucks on the streets of L.A. in 2008. “Target reaches real people in real life – families, communities, everyday moments – and that’s always been my approach to food.”
This is not the first time Choi ventured into the snack scene. In 2023, he collaborated with TSUMo Snacks – initially launched by Austin, Texas and Venice-based Redbud Brands – to launch two THC-infused snacks, Spaghetti & Meatballs and Spicy Cheesy Ramen. In 2020, the chef was a recipient of a James Beard Award and a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award over his docuseries “Broken Bread,” which addresses food justice issues such as sustainability and waste. He was also named one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2010 and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2022.
The rise of Asian snacks
The collaboration arrived at a time when Asian food is winning over foodies nation-wide. A Target spokesperson told CNBC in a report released two days before the launch that the demand for Asian food and beverages kept expanding. The retailer has added other Asian flavors-inspired products, such as ramen bowls and Asian Oreo packages, to its growing shelf space.
Chicago-based research firm Circana also noted a significant growth within the Asian grocery sales category, rising from $1.57 billion in 2021 to more than $2.31 billion this year.
According to Circana analyst Sally Wyatt in a CNBC interview, the popularity is connected to the growth of the Asian population in the U.S. and a growing sense of cultural exploration through food without stepping outside the country. Retailers are increasingly putting Asian and American flavors together to provide a one-stop solution for all consumers.
“I could go down each aisle, and all of them have been touched by the ethnicity of different cultures, flavors, combinations,” Wyatt told CNBC. “You’ve started to see those go into more mainstream because these retailers are wanting to appeal to not just the Asian consumer, but the consumer that wants to have the Asian exploration and Asian flavor combinations.”
