South Korean food giant CJ Cheiljedang Corp. said Thursday it has begun selling an instant fried rice product for the first time in the United States.

Korean barbecue-flavored fried rice under CJ Cheiljedang's bibigo brand is now available at major grocery shops, including Walmart and Publix, and will be sold at other food markets later, according to the Korean company.

This marks the first time CJ Cheiljedang exported a fried rice product to North America. It had only sold frozen fried rice and precooked rice products until now.

The Korean company has seen sales of its precooked rice products continue to rise in North America.

Sales of instant white rice products in the region increased 20.6 percent on-year to 160 billion won ($114.6 million) in 2024. (Yonhap)