We Should Really Learn from Koreans on How to Sell Tofu

Huxiu (虎嗅) recently argued that China's tofu industry is being out-marketed by Korean rivals — and the gap is not just about taste. It has been reported that Korean tofu makers have treated tofu as a branded consumer product rather than a commodity: tidy packaging, standardized quality, convenience formats, and clear product stories. The result? Higher margins, easier supermarket listings, and stronger export appeal. For a product as humble as tofu, perception is everything.

What's different

Korean firms such as Pulmuone (풀무원) have reportedly invested in cold‑chain logistics, retail design and consumer branding long before tofu became a trendy SKU. They sell ready‑to‑cook packs, value‑added tofu snacks and cross‑category meal kits, and they lean on clean design and health narratives. Chinese producers, by contrast, often remain rooted in local wet‑market supply chains, fragmented SMEs, and low‑price competition. Who wins a shelf fight: the neat box with a clear story, or a loose brick wrapped in plastic?

Why it matters

This is not just an industry quibble. Food safety, supply‑chain modernization and consumer trust are central to China's broader push to upgrade its manufacturing and digital retail ecosystems. E‑commerce, cold‑chain startups and live‑streaming sales offer clear technical paths to close the gap. It has been reported that Korean soft power — the Hallyu effect — also helps: if K‑food looks aspirational, packaging and storytelling do the rest. And in an era of trade frictions and rising nationalism, stronger domestic brands matter both economically and geopolitically.

If Chinese tofu makers can pair industrial automation, logistics investment and modern marketing, they could reclaim the narrative — and the profits. Will they? The ingredients are familiar: product development, branding discipline and tech‑enabled distribution. Execution, as always, will tell.