GS25 launches 'soft' triangle kimbap with revamped manufacturing process

GS25 announced Wednesday that it is launching a new "Soft Triangle Kimbap" line, the result of more than a year of process development and testing aimed at improving the rice texture of one of convenience stores' most popular ready-to-eat items.

Traditional triangle kimbap tends to have firm, compressed rice because the filling is repeatedly pressed during the dispensing and molding stages. GS25 replaced the conventional compression-based dispensing method with a shutter mechanism that lets rice fall naturally, while also reducing the pressing force applied during molding. Rice sheet compression decreased by up to 30 percent compared with the previous process, and the product is 0.3 to 0.5 centimeters thicker.

The first product in the line, Soft Chicken Mayo — featuring sliced chicken karaage with teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise and scrambled egg — goes on sale Wednesday. A second variety, Soft Shrimp Mayo, follows June 17, combining whole shrimp with minced onion and carrot in a mayonnaise sauce seasoned with shrimp powder and coarsely ground black pepper for added depth of flavor.

GS25 said the Soft Triangle Kimbap launch marks the start of a broader "full-change renewal" it plans to roll out across its major ready-to-eat categories, including dosirak, sandwiches and burgers. Kim Ji-su, a merchandise director on GS Retail's FF team, said the company aims to "strengthen its ready-to-eat competitiveness through differentiated quality improvements that customers can actually feel."