Japanese tourists are literally buying out Korean perilla & sesame oil by the bottle 😭

TL;DR — IN KOREAN VIBES

Videos and posts of Japanese tourists bulk-buying bottles of Korean hot-pressed perilla and sesame oil from traditional grain mills (방앗간) have been circulating on Korean social media, sparking both pride and mock-panic about a beloved pantry staple becoming a tourist commodity.

bro we need to issue an EXPORT BAN immediately 😭 Japanese tourists have fully discovered Korean mill-pressed perilla oil (들기름) and sesame oil and they are NOT leaving without stocking up. Like multiple bottles. Like they are treating our local grain mills (방앗간) as a luxury goods store. The hot-pressed, freshly roasted method Korean mills use gives the oil this insanely nutty, rich aroma that you literally cannot replicate anywhere else — and apparently Japanese tourists have caught on and are going absolutely feral for it. This is now becoming a MUST-VISIT stop on their Korea itinerary and honestly?? We're shaking rn. Korea really said 'our oil sector is thriving' and meant it fr fr.

🗣 KOREAN YOU JUST LEARNED

들기름

perilla oil

Oil pressed from perilla seeds (a plant in the mint family), widely used in Korean cooking as a finishing oil or dipping sauce base — it has a distinctly earthy, nutty flavor unlike sesame oil.

방앗간

grain mills

Traditional Korean neighborhood mills that grind grains and press fresh sesame or perilla oil on-site; the hot-press roasting method produces an intensely aromatic oil that Koreans consider far superior to factory-bottled versions.

고온압착

hot-pressed

A Korean mill technique where sesame or perilla seeds are roasted at high temperatures before pressing, creating the signature deep, nutty aroma that distinguishes Korean-style oil from cold-pressed Japanese or Western varieties.

HOW DID THIS HIT YOU?

🇰🇷 KOREAN REACTIONS 10

translated from the original Korean post

bro are we an oil-producing nation now 💀

♥ 0

Korean perilla oil is on a COMPLETELY different level, these people are not ready 😤

♥ 9

they're literally out here BUYING THE BOTTLE. paying for the drip 💀

♥ 0

someone please put an export restriction on this IMMEDIATELY 😭

♥ 1

wait Japan doesn't make this?? — Japanese sesame oil is cold-pressed so it's got a higher smoke point but the flavor is way weaker. Korean hot-press method goes HARD on the aroma

♥ 1

the sesame seeds are mostly Chinese-origin anyway lol — domestic Korean sesame hits 500% import tariff if you go over quota so big brands import the pressed cake instead. A-grade Chinese sesame is actually solid tho

♥ 1

it's not just the temperature — the raw material matters. Indian and Myanmar sesame just doesn't taste the same due to climate differences fr

♥ 1

if they take our oil too I swear— 😭 what are we supposed to eat, arigatou gozaimasu valued customer 💀💀

♥ 0

the high-temp roasting gives it that flavor but also... yeah... the carcinogens... that's the secret ingredient bestie 😭

♥ 0

10.

does raw perilla oil even taste good to foreigners tho?? that's an acquired taste fr

♥ 0

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