What is Mukbang? How is it so popular?

What is Mukbang?

When you're just eating, and chewing, why would audience members want to watch others gobble up their food? Sound crazy and weird? But yes, there are thousands of people watching the Korean videos "Mukbang" now. Confused about what this Mukbang video is and why it is the most viewed topic on YouTube? We have the answer.

Diet and advertising are not only for food lovers, many ordinary people also like to watch it to reduce loneliness. Especially for ASMR lovers, eating something gives them pleasure.

Simply put, Mukabang is a broadcast and broadcast are live video and viewers watch the main broadcast. Mukbang is characterized by eating a lot while streaming – imagine a food court where the audience sits and watches a cooking contest.

Mukbangers or BJ's (Broadcast Jockey) can film themselves prepping meals or order large portions and dine in front of the camera, everything will delight the audience.

The word mukbang is a combination of the Korean words "to eat" (먹는; meokneun) and "broadcast" (방송; bangsong).

The Rise of Mukbang

Mukbang was born in 2010 in Korea. Everything from pizza to sushi was eaten in front of the camera during Mukbang's run. Often, their owners are paid for what they do, causing them to drink exotic food or exotic food.

With the rise of people making money online, many Mukbang hosts have made a lot of money by accepting donations or as paid members who advertise. It's worth noting that there are many small streams that make full-time Mukbang videos for a living, but most of their focus is on large streams.

Watching other people eat is nothing new - but mukbang is a little different from the usual shows you'll find on Food Network. Eating and socializing are a big thing in South Korea, the standard of the host country, so some think one of the reasons for health promotion is that audiences are open to helping create a more intimate dining experience.

Korean BJs often broadcast live at mealtimes so their fans can watch or dine with them. This differs from podcast consumption by the international community, such as podcast consumption in the United States, which prefers to write before consuming podcasts and chat while eating.

Another big concern is the food BJ eats. The average person doesn't eat a 20,000-calorie meal, but with EatBlog, they can easily watch others do it, like watching a classic dog-eating contest.

During the broadcast dinner, the hosts talk to the audience and express their joy, giving the impression of dining together - creating a relationship that is so important to dining in Korea may help explain the popular diet. Others may watch mukbang to replace foods that viewers may not be able to enjoy, for example due to dietary restrictions.

Top 5 Mukbangers of 2023

Boki

Eat with Boki, moon Bok Hee is wildly popular with over 8 million YouTubers. Boki usually eats a variety of food, from Korean home cooking to Western food.

Mellawnie

Mellawnie has a little over a million subscribers on her channel. She doesn't show his full face in the video. The food she eats is usually simple dishes such as spicy pasta, ramen or cheese balls with dessert.

Zach Choi 

Zach Choi is the Korean YouTube ASMR king. Mukbang and ASMR in Los Angeles. He did not use his voice in the video. His films are silent with only a little sound. He brings up  other YouTubers as well but always kept silent.

Sio ASMR 

Sio ASMR is one of the active food and media content producers in Korea. One of his most famous mukbangs is rice cakes eaten with fire cheetahs. Because it is very powerful, you can benefit from the new model. When Squid Game became a worldwide phenomenon, Sio quickly uploaded a honeycomb challenge video.

Stephanie Soo

Although Stephanie is a relatively newcomer, there are over a million people in the vibrant Korean-American community. Her specialty is that she tells stories while eating plate of food, often involving conspiracy theories, unsolved murders, and gruesome Reddit threads. Don't be put off — the stories are more fun than scary and she's a great storyteller!