Jamon becomes most popular emerging food on delivery app Yogiyo

Jamon, a dry-cured ham produced in Spain, was named the fastest emerging item on food delivery app Yogiyo last year, thanks largely to the popularity of wine amid the pandemic.

The Spanish ham saw a 515 percent year-on-year jump in order volume, enjoying the biggest growth apart from already-beloved items such as fried chicken, pizza and Chinese food, Delivery Hero Korea, the company behind the app, said Thursday.

“It appears record-breaking wine sales that caused an increase in home drinkers due to coronavirus have had an impact,” the company explained.

Jamon is commonly paired with wine.

Dried pollack and gopchang, a Korean dish of beef or pork intestines, came second and third, enjoying increases of 219 percent and 163 percent, respectively, in order volume compared to the previous year.

Other new dishes to have gained popularity last year include the “croffle,” a hybrid of a waffle and a croissant, which has enjoyed a surge in popularity on social media since February last year, according to the company.

“As the contactless culture caught on due to coronavirus last years, instant change was observed in menus for delivery. As social distancing prolonged, more consumers ordered a variety of dishes as they stayed home and tried to find a little bit of happiness,” an official at Delivery Hero Korea said.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)