[Provided by CU]
[Provided by CU]

Convenience store chain CU announced Monday it is launching a range of ready-to-eat products made with traditional summer stamina-food ingredients, including chicken, eel and smoked duck.

With food prices running high, convenient takes on stamina cuisine are gaining traction. According to the Korea Consumer Agency's price-monitoring service, the average price of a bowl of samgyetang — ginseng chicken soup — in Seoul has reached 18,154 won ($12). CU's stamina-food sales during the June-to-August period have posted double-digit growth for three consecutive years, rising 28.5 percent in 2023, 25.1 percent in 2024 and 19.8 percent in 2025.

The new lineup spans a wide price range, from triangle rice balls priced in the 2,000-won range to an eel set meal in the 8,000-won range. The flagship item is the "Boyang Samgye Burger," a hamburger built around a chicken breast patty seasoned with herbal flavors and topped with an herbal sauce, mayonnaise and lettuce to evoke the taste of samgyetang.

The lineup also includes a "Boyang Eel Samgye Rice" bowl topped generously with mushrooms and ginkgo nuts alongside grilled eel. CU also released a "Boyang Whole Eel Set Meal" featuring an entire eel glazed in a special sauce and served whole. The company bought eel in bulk in advance, cutting the retail price 20 percent from last year.

Through its app Pocket CU, the chain has prepared a "Weekly Pop-Up" promotion themed around "Eat right, recharge right," offering four stamina-food items — eel, samgyetang, watermelon and the whole eel set meal — available for pre-order or home delivery. Customers who pay with a BC card via CU Pay receive a 30 percent discount.

"We will continue to offer differentiated products that reflect seasonal trends and deliver new culinary experiences," said Kim Bae-geun, head of BGF Retail's convenience food team.


siuu@heraldcorp.com