What do you do when your favorite part of your adopted country is the food? How do your share that with the people back home who haven't yet made it to visit? Korean street food inspired character dolls Yum-Yum Town by Maaterial just might be the answer!
I have been living in Korea for the past ten years and one of the things that has always excited me about it is the street food. Street food in Korea is something that everyone, from elementary school students to office workers, enjoys from time to time. Chewy rice cake in a spicy sauce that can bring tears to a grown man's eyes, deep fried veggies and other treats spread out to grab the attention of passersby, seaweed rice rolls made on demand, sweet pastries filled with nuts and sugar cooked on the spot and sweet potatoes being cooked in a makeshift oven in the dead of winter. All of these things provide a glimpse into Korea's past. The Korea that used to be.
But now that Korea has developed into one of the top ten economies in the world old street culture is rapidly disappearing. Government regulations are getting tighter and more well enforced. Those who don't pay taxes are forced to cease operations and sadly many street food vendors are among them.
That is why when I found out that a Korean company called Maaterial had created the Yum-Yum Town characters based on traditional Korean street food I fell in love immediately. The creators clearly see the value in street food and their traditional culture and are presenting it in a super fun way. Each character has special features that represent its special characteristics. For example, the Topokki character is the chewy rice cake in spicy sauce that I mentioned earlier. He has a hot flame on his head and carries around a little "Spicy Bomb" in his hands. Kimbap is a seaweed wrapped rice roll and the Yum-Yum Town character for that is actually three adorable brothers with seaweed clothes held together by magnets to make a whole rice roll.
Probably the best part of the Yum-Yum Series is that it is packaged like a Korean dosirak, or lunch box, and even comes with a Korean Street Food Poster and a sticker to decorate your room and luggage with.
More info: koreacurated.com
Interview with the creators of Yum-Yum Town (ENG SUBS)
Yum-Yum Town Bento Box: Korean Street Food Graphics Souvenir
Be careful of the sweet filling, it's hot!!
Three brothers connected by love and magnetic force
The spicy bomb is waiting for unsuspecting victims
The frat boy of Korean street food
Always afraid of catching a winter chill
Stickers!
