Outrageous!
Is chili sauce going to be Korean?
Recently, there have been new developments in the catering industry:
美国知名韩裔主厨David Chang
主理的餐饮集团Momofuku,
要把辣椒酱“Chili Crunch”变成自己的商标，
A group of netizens shouted that they couldn't bear it!
Let's take a look~
01
Korean chef launches "trademark bullying" for chili sauce
就在上个月,Momofuku主理人——韩裔主厨David Chang,宣布将"Chili Crunch"注册为自己的商标。
Previously, the Momofuku Group had registered the copyright of the name "Chile Crunch" in 2023.
(Source: theguardian, copyright belongs to the original author)
As a result, during this time, Momofuku not only sent lawyers' letters to six small food companies that used the two names, accusing them of infringement, but also banned all other brands from using the two words.
,",",the crisp cylinder of the cylinder of the cylinder
但Momofuku专门针对使用"chile crunch"和"chili crunch"的产品。
左下:Momofuku辣椒酱
(Source: tastytrip, copyright belongs to the original author)
Malaysian food brand Homiah was asked to stop using the name for 90 days for selling Sambal Chili Crunch, which is made from a family recipe.
Michelle Tew, the owner, said that "Chili Crunch" has always referred to a variety of chili sauces, rather than specific products of individual brands, and Momofuku's actions are no less than appropriating the food culture that everyone has heard about.
(Source: LinkedIn, copyright belongs to the original author)
And our Chinese national hot sauce "Lao Gan Ma", because the English translation is "Chili Crisp" instead of "Chili Crunch", so it has not been affected.
But it's not hard to see that Momofuku is all about family kitchens and small Asian restaurants, and for big brands like Lao Gan Ma, it's a "well water doesn't interfere with river water" attitude.
Therefore, some people speculate that Momofuku may be "bullying the small"
(Source: Sina @ Fast Technology Official, the copyright belongs to the original author)
Moreover, due to the fear of the cost and hassle of legal proceedings, several companies that received the lawyer's letter could only "admit it", fearing malicious retaliation if they resisted.
(图源:momofuku,版权属于原作者)
However, Momofuku has only just filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and has not yet received a registered trademark for "chili crunch".
Officials said that "Chili Crunch" must be proven to have "uniqueness that has been widely used in commerce for many years" before it can be approved.
But in any case, Momofuku's behavior has aroused the anger of many Asian celebrity chefs and consumers, and there has been a lot of scolding on the Internet...
02
The chef's restaurant's various bad deeds have caused anger among netizens
As soon as Momofuku's "trademark bullying" was published, it caused a lot of discussion on the Internet
(All the comments cited in this article are from Xiaohongshu public information)
And the owner David Chang and his restaurant are not very good:
David Chang is a New York chef to Korean parents.
(图源:momofuku,版权属于原作者)
Founded in New York City in 2004, David Chang opened more than a dozen restaurants in North America and was worth $60 million as Asian cuisine emerged in the United States.
However, his restaurant is considered unremarkable by many Asian diners
Many netizens said that this restaurant simply stepped on thunder and had cramps in their feet
还有人痛批David Chang“吃相难看”
In short, David Chang and his momofuku seem to have become the target of public criticism.
It is unknown whether the copyright of the chili sauce will eventually be taken by him as his own...
03
How outrageous are Koreans: the whole world is Korean?
In the midst of the angry scolding, some people ridiculed:
Indeed, South Korea seems to have repeatedly provoked China culturally in recent years, and it is rumored on the Internet that South Korea has applied for the "Fire Kang" World Heritage Site, the "Dragon Boat Festival" World Heritage Site, the "Traditional Chinese Medicine" World Heritage Site, and the movable type printing "World Heritage Site".
Hence the Internet meme: the whole world is Korean
(Source: Douyin @ Pap Circle, the copyright belongs to the original author)
Isn't this more and more angry the more you look at it???
But there are also many people on the Internet who refute the rumors, which are actually false:
For example, the traditional "Wentu" system that South Korea plans to apply for is not the same concept as China's "ondol";
South Korea's "Gangneung Dragon Boat Festival", which was selected as an intangible cultural heritage, is not China's Dragon Boat Festival, and the two only coincide in time;
South Korea's inscription on the World Heritage List is not traditional Chinese medicine, but a medical book called "Dongyi Baojian";
South Korea did not inscribe movable type printing on the World Heritage List, but the Buddhist scripture "Zhizhi Heart and Body Essentials" was selected and introduced as the oldest surviving proof of movable metal type printing......
Let's just say, the food of this melon is really dizzy, and we can only remind everyone: personal problems should not rise to the whole country...
Although there are different opinions on the Internet, no matter which is true or false, you must believe that others can never take away your own things;
And David Chang's immoral behavior, after being criticized by netizens, also ushered in the final ending:
可能是迫于舆论压力，David Chang宣布，不再纠结“chili crunch”的专利了...
(Source: NBCnews, copyright belongs to the original author)
So, what do you think about this? Welcome to chat in the comment area~