BLACKPINK's Jennie Sparks Global Buzz for Korean Snack 'Banana Kick' on U.S. Talk Show

BLACKPINK's Jennie recently appeared on the U.S. talk show 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' to promote her first solo album 'RUBY'. During the show, she shared her love for Korean snacks, highlighting 'Banana Kick' as her all-time favorite since childhood. Jennie described it as having a unique banana flavor that's hard to resist. She also mentioned other popular Korean snacks like 'Saeukkang' and 'Whale Snack'.

Jennifer Hudson, the show's host, tried 'Banana Kick' and gave it a thumbs up, which quickly became a hot topic on social media. Nongshim, the company behind 'Banana Kick', was quick to capitalize on this exposure. They posted images on their official social media featuring the snack's characters at the talk show, with the Banana Kick character cheekily noting, 'Thanks to Jennie, I got a 5-second solo shot.'

'Banana Kick', known as the original banana snack, is celebrating its 47th anniversary this year. Launched in 1978, it's a corn-based snack that combines the savory taste of corn with the sweet flavor of banana. In 2023, Nongshim introduced a new version, 'Strawberry Banana Kick', adding strawberry flavor to the mix, to attract more customers while maintaining the snack's unique identity. This move was inspired by the popularity of strawberry and banana combinations in various food items like fruit juices, pastries, and ice cream.