Korean-style fried chicken has been selected as the most popular Korean dish by foreign consumers, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ online survey of 8,000 local residents in 16 major cities across the globe.

The survey found that 13.3 percent of the respondents who had tried Korean food picked Korean-style fried chicken as their most-preferred Korean dish, followed by kimchi at 11.9 percent and bibimbap at 10.3 percent.

The respondents picked the same three dishes for the Korean food they eat most often, but in the order of kimchi, bibimbap and Korean-style fried chicken.

Nearly 6 out of 10 respondents said they knew of Korean food. The awareness of Korean dishes among foreigners has been on a steady increase over the last three years, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Thursday in a press release.

81.3 percent said they were satisfied with Korean food. The survey showed that the foreign consumers recognized Korean food as spicy, exotic, flavorful and having a lot of side dishes.

According to the survey, respondents in North and Central American regions preferred bulgogi more than other regions while grilled pork belly, or samgyeopsal in Korean, was more popular in Northeast Asia.

Respondents in China’s Beijing and Shanghai showed the highest levels of Korean food awareness and satisfaction, whereas respondents in Japan’s Tokyo and Italy’s Rome had the lowest levels.

“Through the survey, we found that foreign consumers’ level of awareness of Korean food is increasing,” said the ministry’s Food Industry Policy Officer Kim Jong-gu. “We will put together strategies for each country to improve the level of satisfaction for Korean food and restaurants and provide active support.”

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)