Rice is also the main raw material for manufacture of
traditional Korean foods, including cake, gruel, snacks,
beverages, and alcoholic drinks. Since the rice cake was Wrst
commercially manufactured in the food industry in 1987,
there has been increasing commercial interest in developing
diverse food products, such as instant rice noodles, fermented
rice punch, instant cooked rice, rice gruel, and rice
beverages. Approximately 87 kg of rice is used per year per
person in Korea of a total 99 kg of grain used. Rice expenditure
per year per person in 2000 was greater in Korea
(93.6 kg) than in Japan (64.6kg) and Taiwan (52.7 kg)