Bibigo's "tteokbokki" (spicy rice cake) lineups / Courtesy of CJ CheilJedang

Bibigo's "tteokbokki," or spicy rice cakes, is driving the global popularity of Korean street food, with exports more than doubling due to strong demand from European customers, CJ CheilJedang said, Sunday.

According to the company, sales of Bibigo-branded tteokbokki soared 2.5 times in the second quarter compared to the previous three months, driven by a significant increase in exports, particularly to a growing number of European countries.

Bibigo now exports its tteokbokki to 41 countries worldwide, up from 29 earlier this year.

The chewy rice cakes in spicy and sweet sauce have long been a favorite among Koreans, standing out as a quintessential street food in the countr.

Cast members of the popular television reality show Seojin's were recently spotted enjoying Bibigo's tteokbokki cups in Iceland. The snack is now available for sale in most European countries.

A customer takes a look at Bibigo's "gimbap" (rice, vegetables, meat, and fish rolled in dried seaweed) at a Woolworths store in Australia in this undated photo. Courtesy of CJ CheilJedang

CJ CheilJedang has identified Korea's major street foods as a key growth engine and plans to launch a variety of Bibigo-branded Korean street foods to capture more international attention.

Tteokbokki is at the forefront, as evidenced by its steep sales growth. The company aims to expand its presence in mainstream retail channels across global markets and accelerate its growth.

Bibigo's other Korean street food items are also receiving positive responses in international markets. Last year, Bibigo launched its frozen "gimbap," or seaweed rice rolls, in Japan and signed a retail contract with AEON, one of the country's largest retailers, to increase its availability. Since then, sales of Bibigo frozen gimbap have surpassed 1.5 million packs.

Starting in May this year, Bibigo's frozen gimbap has also become available in Australia, following CJ CheilJedang's retail partnership with Woolworths. This marks the first time that traditional Korean gimbap is sold through a mainstream retail channel in Australia.

“Bibigo's K-street food series is receiving a positive reception from local customers abroad, with sales demonstrating robust growth,” said an official at CJ CheilJedang.

“We are going to launch diverse food items, so more global customers will be able to enjoy our K-street food products.”