My Obsession with Watching Mukbangs

If you haven’t come across a mukbang video, have you been living under a rock? Mukkbang, for those who are unaware of its popularity, is an online video trend that involves people eating food in front of an online audience. This trend originated in South Korea, hence the name. The term is a blend of the Korean words “muk-da” (먹다) meaning “to eat” and “bang-song” (방송) meaning “broadcast”. These mukbang videos have hosts eating large, sometimes impressive amounts of food while interacting with their audience in real-time or through pre-recorded content. Sometimes, mukbang videos can be served as ASMR content, which are sensory and satisfying videos that entice a tingling sensation. The crunching and the indulgence of delicious-looking food often mixed with different sounds can create a masterpiece of what is called “Mukkbang”.

As someone who is a big foodie, I absolutely LOVE watching mukbang videos. I discovered the world of mukbang during quarantine and ever since then, I cannot have enough of it. ASMR is something I often watch to help me fall asleep, and it is shown that people who love watching ASMR also enjoy watching mukbang videos.

It is important to note, however, that not everyone enjoys watching mukbang. People who hate the sounds of chewing or swallowing can experience discomfort and may feel disturbed. My brother, for example, hates the sound of slurping, and would often cringe at the sound of a video of someone eating noodles. Although mukbang may not be for everyone, I recommend checking it out and trying to watch a simple mukbang video. You will be surprised at how big the community is and how creative some people get with the choice of foods they eat or the amount of foods they can consume. 

Here are some of my favorite mukbangers on YouTube!