Paldo to Bring Its Sikhye Rice Punch Beverage to Indonesia

Paldo, one of the leading food and beverage manufacturers in South Korea, revealed it will export its sikhye products to Indonesia. The company also plans to add halal certification for its instant noodle brands to improve its brand power while expanding its presence in the Southeast Asian market.

Importance of Halal Certification

According to The Korea Economic Daily, Paldo will export its Birak Sikhye beverage to Indonesia. On Tuesday, Feb. 6, it said that since this drink is already halal-certified, it would be easier to sell it to the region now.

Having this certification means that Muslims can consume the item. This is crucial because most Indonesians are Muslims, and if Paldo aims to expand its reach here, its products must have this seal, or it would be hard to sell them in the country.

Exporting Sikhye to the Indonesian Market

The Indonesian Halal Agency BPJPH granted halal certifications to five of Paldo's beverage products, including the Birak Sikhye. The company is now preparing to send this rice punch drink to the region.

The company will export two versions of the Paldo Birak Sikhye: the one without rice bits in a 175 ml container and the original version with the pulp in a 238 ml bottle. In any case, sikhye is a rice punch drink that is popular among Koreans.

It is a traditional sweet beverage made with barley malt water and cooked rice. It may also be served as a dessert. In 1993, the Paldo food company upgraded the drink to fit modern times and started producing the Birak Sikhye.

"We will pioneer the high-potential halal market with a localization strategy while maintaining our brand identity," Korea's Money Today quoted Paldo's head of global marketing team, Kwon Seong Jun, as saying in a statement. "We will widely publicize the excellence of the traditional beverage sikhye."

Photo by: Paldo Food Website