In Google’s 2023 Search of the Year, “Bibimbap” was ranked as the world’s most searched recipe.
According to Google’s search term announcement on the 11th (local time), Bibimbap was the recipe with the largest increase in search volume compared to last year. Espeto (Spanish fish dish baked on skewers) and papeda (Indonesian porridge made with starch) followed.
India saw the biggest increase in search volume for “Bibimbap.” Singapore came in second and Sweden came in third. Google explained that when ranking countries, the search volume is not absolute, but based on the percentage of all search words.
The propaganda of ‘Bibimbap’ in India is interpreted as having something to do with the popularity of Korean dramas. Indian posts explaining the recipe for bibimbap introduced it as “a dish from the drama Descendants of the Sun.”
Korean dramas have become very popular in India as the use of Netflix and others has increased due to COVID-19. In 2021, PTI News Agency of India reported that “the rate of watching K-drama on Netflix in India in 2020 increased by more than 370% year-on-year.” In addition to the “Squid Game,” which was popular worldwide, “Gat Village Cha Cha Cha” and “Crash Landing on Love” were especially loved.
Indian viewers’ interest in Korean dramas has not faded even after the pandemic. The British broadcaster BBC said in March that the K-drama fever in India has not cooled down even after the pandemic, and evaluated that the drama’s sensuous description of the somewhat exaggerated romance suits Indian viewers’ taste. In addition, the “Israel-Hamas War” topped the list of news worldwide. Shortly after the war began on October 7, search volume exploded. It was followed by the Titanic tourism submersible accident and the Turkiye earthquake.
The most popular figure on Google search terms in 2023 is Damar Hamlin. He fell unconscious in January after suffering a cardiac arrest during an NFL game.
In the film category, “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which were all-time box office hits in North America, ranked first and second, respectively.
This year’s song, which was viewed as a Google search word, was “Idol” by YoASOBI, a Japanese hybrid duo. Also the theme song of the popular animation “My Favorite Child,” “Idol” was a huge hit with a challenge on the short platform. Girl group Pftipty’s “Cupid,” dubbed “Miracle of Small and Medium-sized Dolls,” ranked fifth.
Google selects the “Search Word of the Year” for each topic every year based on the search terms that have increased the most compared to last year. According to the Associated Press, Google used the search terms from January 1 to November 27 in the announcement.
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
