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'Our flavors are on the shelf': The evolution of Asian grocery beyond the 'ethnic aisle'

Cnbc · 🇺🇸 public United States · · 1261 words · By Laya Neelakandan
Entrepreneurship Cultural Integration Market Trends
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What to know about Entrepreneurship

When Candice Choi launched her Korean seaweed snack brand, Geem, in 2023, she thought the company would be strictly direct-to-consumer, with its marketing strategy relying primarily on TikTok.

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

When Candice Choi launched her Korean seaweed snack brand, Geem, in 2023, she thought the company would be strictly direct-to-consumer, with its marketing strategy relying primarily on TikTok.

Why it matters

But within three months, the seaweed snacks were on the shelves of grocery stores, including some Whole Foods locations, where Geem chips sit next to kale chips and veggie straws.

Common ground

"There was so much confluence of people being really excited about our snacks and stores really willing to take us on that was really, really exciting," Choi told CNBC.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/29/asian-foods-beyond-ethnic-aisle.html

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
schedule Pending 4
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “Candice Choi launched her Korean seaweed snack brand, Geem, in 2023”
CORROBORATED
The claim is confirmed by a CNBC article and a LinkedIn profile for Candice Choi, both stating she launched Geem in 2023.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Founder, Geem | Harvard MBA '23 · Experience: Geem · Education: Harvard Business School · Location: Chicago · 500+ connections on LinkedIn. View Candice ...
https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicejchoi
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2026 ... When Candice Choi launched her Korean seaweed snack brand, Geem, in 2023, she thought the company would be strictly direct-to-consumer, with ...
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/29/asian-foods-beyond-ethnic-ai…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Candice Choi is a news editor on the Wall Street team, which covers the people and dynamics shaping finance. She was previously an editor on the markets team.
https://www.wsj.com/news/author/candice-choi
schedule
Claim 2: “Indian sauce brand Gymkhana came to stores earlier this year”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 3: “It [Deep Brands] expects to surpass $110 million in syndicated retail sales this year”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 4: “According to data from market research firm Circana, sales of Asian grocery items jumped from $1.57 billion in 2021 to over $2.31 billion this year”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence consists of stock prices for Alphabet Inc. and unrelated Wikipedia entries for a film and a manga. No evidence regarding Circana's Asian grocery item sales was found in the provided results.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eternals is a 2021 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics race the Eternals. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 26th film in the M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternals_(film)
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Japanese: 葬送のフリーレン, Hepburn: Sōsō no Furīren; lit. 'Frieren at the Funeral' or 'Frieren the Slayer') is a Japanese manga series written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frieren
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a listing of the best-selling video games in the United States annually by units sold since 1980, with sales figures from Circana since 1994. The United States is a very competitive market for…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_video_gam…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 5: “Geem will be launching in Whole Foods stores across Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii in July”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim (YouTube, general website, Amazon) does not mention a specific July launch for Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 11, 2020 · Watch the latest video of Geem on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdK9h1tP5UE
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Geem Seaweed Snacks -- a Korean favorite with a Western Twist. Good for you, good for the planet, and based in Asian goodness? Yummy.
https://eatgeem.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Inspired by our Korean roots and American snacking habits, we layer premium Korean seaweed with rice crisps and sesame seeds — creating bold, crunchy chips that honor this Eastern superfood while fitt…
https://www.amazon.com/GEEM-Seaweed-Snacks-Crunchy-Oil-Free/…
info
Claim 6: “within three months, the seaweed snacks were on the shelves of grocery stores, including some Whole Foods locations”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only the CNBC article provides the specific detail that the snacks were on shelves, including Whole Foods, within three months of launch. Other sources confirm the brand exists but not the timeline or specific retail entry speed.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2026 ... But within three months, the seaweed snacks were on the shelves of grocery stores, including some Whole Foods locations, where Geem chips ...
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/29/asian-foods-beyond-ethnic-ai…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 5.4K+ followers · 727 following · 138 posts · @eatgeem: “Midwest Asian making Korean-inspired snacks Proudly third culture Eco-loving Always tasty ...
https://www.instagram.com/eatgeem/?hl=en
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aug 24, 2013 ... There are many reasons for this including their customer service and knowledgeable butchers(they are the only grocery store I know of that ...
https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/1l003t/after_35_yea…
info
Claim 7: “Research from global investment banking advisor BDA Partners estimates that the "ethnic aisle" generated $8.8 billion in sales in 2024”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific figure of $8.8 billion for the 'ethnic aisle' in 2024 attributed to BDA Partners is found only in a LinkedIn post. Other search results are irrelevant.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Development Bank of Japan Inc. ("DBJ") (株式会社 日本政策投資銀行, Kabushiki-gaisha Nippon-seisaku-tōshi-ginkō) is a Japanese development bank incorporated on 1 October 2008 under the Development Bank of Japan In…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_Bank_of_Japan
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — J. Mendel is a French-American luxury fashion house. J. Mendel was founded in St. Petersburg and was originally a furrier. Today, the company produces fur garments, evening wear, outerwear and accesso…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Mendel
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Charles Adrian MacFie Maynard (born February 1971) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Witney since 2024. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he gained the seat from Robe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Maynard
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 8: “The Pew Research Center has reported that the Asian population in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2000, growing to a 7% share of the total population”
CORROBORATED
Pew Research Center explicitly reports that the US Asian population has more than doubled since 2000 (from 11.9 million to 24.8 million in 2023).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 1, 2025 ... The US Asian population has more than doubled since 2000. The number of Asian Americans grew from 11.9 million in 2000 to 24.8 million in 2023.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/05/01/key-facts…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 7, 2020 ... born – make up a majority of eligible voters, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. From 2000 to 2020, the number ...
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/05/07/asian-ame…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 2, 2018 ... The Asian-American population in the South has grown by 69% in 10 years, and now has the power to influence elections, schools and culture.
https://www.facebook.com/iAmericaorg/posts/the-asian-america…
help
Claim 9: “Chains such as H Mart, Patel Brothers and 99 Ranch Market are opening new locations around the country”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
help
Claim 10: “Deep Indian Kitchen, a legacy brand available in more than 25,000 stores”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
info
Claim 11: “The U.S. Asian food market is projected to grow to $51.3 billion by 2031, with a 4.7% compounded annual growth rate, BDA said”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search result for this claim is a snippet from the Financial Times from 1990, which is irrelevant to the 2031 projection.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Full text of "Financial Times , 1990, UK, English". See other formats. Geneva talks Aeroflot to fail to settle buy aircraft World shares, bonds fall future ...
https://archive.org/stream/FinancialTimes1990UKEnglish/Jan+2…
schedule
Claim 12: “Thai brand Tem Toa, which is available in Target”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 13: “eating out is 4.3 times the cost of cooking at home”
SINGLE SOURCE
A Reddit thread mentions a Walmart CFO stating it is 'roughly 4.3 times more expensive' to buy a meal out than at home, but this is not corroborated by other independent authoritative sources in the provided evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 15, 2019 · Because you've not done the math. One time it's might cheaper but in the long run it'll be cheaper an healthier to eat at home.Why do some people act like cooking is more expensive than…
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-people-say-that-cooking-is-chea…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 3, 2024 · Wal-Mart CFO: it's “roughly 4.3 times more expensive” to buy a meal ... Does cooking at home vs eating out at cheap places save more money?Walmart says more diners are buying its groceri…
https://www.reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/comments/1d6ud6d/sto…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 7, 2023 · Restaurants became 20% more expensive than groceries throughout this time. Put another way: if a restaurant cost 3x as much as a home meal in 2011, it cost 3.5 ...
https://medium.com/@MattTraversoPhD/you-probably-go-to-resta…
schedule
Claim 14: “the Indian frozen food brand [Deep Indian Kitchen] has grown exponentially and holds 51% market share of frozen Indian food nationwide”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.