Yongin City Begins Development of Baekoksal Rice Bread Featuring City Character 'Joayong'

[Suwon Ilbo=Choi Ki-ho Reporter] Yongin Special City announced on the 11th that it will create region-specific bread products utilizing its beloved city character 'Joayong' and Baekoksal, the city's representative agricultural brand.

The initiative aims to develop customized rice-processed products tailored to citizens' preferences, create new added value for local farmers, and effectively utilize them as city tourism products.

In relation to this, the city commissioned a 'Baekoksal Processing Product Research and Development Project' from May to November and has begun development of three varieties—castella, sandwich, and cookies—made from Baekoksal.

The project will survey ideas for confectionery and bakery formulations with high purchase appeal and consumer trends suited to tourism products, then propose customized product concepts and manufacture prototypes utilizing local agricultural specialty materials.

The project will research optimal rice flour blending ratios considering rice processing suitability, sensory evaluation, and processing competitiveness, and will establish preservation processes for room-temperature distribution and storage including sterilization and additives.

Based on this, the city plans to introduce three varieties of 'Joayong Rice Bread' to citizens for the first time at the 'Yongin Citizens Day' event scheduled to be held in September.

A city official stated, "We will do our best in developing Joayong rice bread to contribute to farm revitalization by increasing rice consumption while utilizing it as a region-specialized product featuring the city character."