Ready Pac Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bonduelle, introduced Sweet & Spicy Korean Chopped Salad Kit. This new ethnic-inspired salad kit features a fresh mix of romaine lettuce, Napa and red cabbages, crisp vegetables, puffed brown rice and black sesame seeds, tossed in a slightly spicy Gochujang vinaigrette. A savory, sweet and fermented red pepper paste dating to early 17th century Korea, Gochujang brings rich umami flavor with a gentle heat and slightly sweet finish and is widely regarded by trend watchers as the "next Sriracha." The new salad kit delivers on the trending consumer demand for ethnic-inspired flavors, like Korean BBQ, paired with the convenience of a ready-to-toss and serve salad.

"At Ready Pac Foods, we look to consumer and culinary trends to gauge what's next, so we can continue to surprise and delight our consumers with a variety of products," said Ready Pac Foods Marketing Vice President Priscila Stanton. "Chefs at top fine dining restaurants have been experimenting with Gochujang on their menus and it was beginning to appear in retail products, so we looked at how to feature it in a new offering."

"With trends showing consumers are looking for more savory flavors with some extra heat, we decided to incorporate this delicious Korean flavor into our crisp, fresh, chopped salad kit to create a truly craveable experience," added Ivan Hayashi, Ready Pac Foods Senior Manager responsible for salad kit innovation.

The new Sweet & Spicy Korean Chopped Salad Kit is now available where consumers buy groceries, including Albertsons, Giant Eagle and Raley's, and in Target stores in the Spring, with a suggested retail price of $3.99.