Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/623506
J in Jun founded SeaSnax in 2011 for one very special, very discerning customer—her daughter, Namu Yuk. At age three, her daughter had one favorite food—seaweed, also known as nori in Japanese and gim in Korean, a snack staple in traditional Asian diets. The little girl couldn't get enough of the salty snack, but the varieties sold in Asian markets were loaded with corn oil and MSG. This rankled Jun, who had been recently licensed in Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM. Since TCM takes a holistic approach to health, a significant portion of Jun's studies focused on nutrition. She shares an anecdote that encapsulates the Chinese attitude toward diet: In China, doctors are paid when people are healthy and stop getting paid when people are sick. The focus is on preventive treatments rather than prescriptive illness. So, Jun set out to make her own variation of the seafood snack with one goal: to create something healthful and delicious. She didn't foresee the success that would follow in her first few years of business. A mother's quest for a more nutritious snack has evolved into a successful labor of love. BY OLIVIA KINGSLEY Jin Jun, SeaSnax Creating a New Family Staple, Rooted in Tradition 78 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com producer profle PHOTOS: JIN JUN