Dragon's Print

We all know that eating is one of life’s greatest joys– so why not watch other people eat their heart out for you? Meokbangs (먹방), also known as mukbangs, are shows where a presenter eats big (and we mean biiiiiig) portions of food seemingly all in one sitting while people watch with watery mouths. These shows originated from South Korean and their name comes from a portmanteau of the Korean words “meoknun (먹는)” meaning “eating” and “bangsong (방송)” meaning “broadcast”. Although these types of videos have spread all over the world with people of various races and cultures now creating their own mukbangs, today we’re going back to where it all started. Below, we’ve compiled a list of Korean mukbangers that we personally love watching whether we’re craving the food or just the company.

SINCOOK

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRH7j5GsT7MWuEFwjORNlFg

Sometimes, there are days when I feel lonely when I eat alone. Instead of asking friends or families to eat with me, there is one YouTuber I always search for whenever I eat. His name is SINCOOK, my eating buddy! SINCOOK is a YouTuber who currently has over 537,000 subscribers. It is a sin to watch him eat late at night because he makes me end up ordering take-out or eat very late at night 80% at the time. 

SINCOOK mostly specializes in eating processed food from a convenience store. He can make a seven-dollar dish into a gourmet meal. He turns Korean instant noodles, packaged hamburgers, cake, and ready-to-go fares into first-class meals that are too mouthwatering to ignore.
Not only does he make commentaries on his convenience store mukbang videos, SINCOOK also does video commentaries such as cooking and eating at other restaurants. The food that he makes does not matter to me — what matters to me is the way he eats. I really don’t know how to describe it in words, but the way he eats makes me want to get the nearest food next to me and just chow down. So yes, I 100% recommend people watch his mukbang videos. I guarantee you he will make you want to eat!

BANZZ

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/eodyd188

Have you ever had that midnight food craving that just keeps you up all night? Because I do — almost every night, actually. Aside from late-night food deliveries, I satisfy this craving by watching mukbangs! Among the multitude of famous mukbangers, my favorite would have to be Banzz, who currently has over 2.76 million subscribers on YouTube. 

Banzz’s eating skills should not be underestimated. He’s known for finishing big bowls or plates of food in under a few minutes. Most of his videos take place at his desk where he eats everything from ramen to raw meat. Once, he even tried eating fried chicken and tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes) wrapped in pizza! In other videos, he takes on speed-eating challenges in restaurants (spoiler alert: he always wins) or tries out food stalls. 

I am constantly amazed by the huge spoonfuls that Banzz takes and the record-breaking time with which he finishes astronomical amounts of food. Despite this, he still has the ability to talk to and entertain his viewers by answering questions and commenting on the food. His videos are definitely a must-watch especially late at night when that food craving comes!

SSOYOUNG

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4PpFUrfT2Pou7OwpVF0MUQ

I came across Ssoyoung while I was absentmindedly scrolling through YouTube, not really searching for anything in particular. What drew me in were her amusing thumbnails for each of her videos. She’s a relatively well-known mukbanger with 623,000 people subscribed to her YouTube channel. 

The kinds of food she eats and reviews are definitely entertaining– like live, raw squid and super-spicy fried chicken– and her reactions to these dishes are even more so. Ssoyoung calls herself an ASMR (audio-sensory meridian response) mukbanger, which means her videos are meant to help you relax and soothe yourself– but her hilarious reactions to prepping and trying out her dishes always manage to make me giggle in my seat. 

Her crazy antics aside, the food she displays on her show are definitely enough to pique anyone’s interest (including mine) and make them wonder what it would taste like. Ssoyoung is definitely a must-watch for adventurous eaters (like myself) who crave all kinds of weird and wacky food and someone to laugh with.

Although some people find mukbangs a bit bizarre, we find our own little comforts in watching these mukbangers eat their hearts out. Their interesting personalities and unique quirks paired with the delicious food they present make mukbangs one of, if not our most, guiltiest pleasures.

Article by Dong Ha C., Regina L., and Andrea C. (Grade 12); Feature image by Jun J. (Grade 9)

Reviews are uncommissioned, unpaid, and represent the personal views of the author. They should not be taken to represent the views of Dragon’s Print and Cebu International School.