"Still Delicious the Next Day"—Why CU Changed the Water It Uses to Cook Rice

CU Changes the Water Used to Cook Rice

CU, run by BGF Retail, now treats tap water with a softening system before cooking rice at its own factory. Softened water helps rice stay soft even after it is cold. BGF Retail also showed off its Jincheon food center, where rice, rice balls, and sandwiches are made. The company also introduced a smart oven that heats food in stores using barcode scans.

Key Numbers

• Normal tap water hardness: 50 to 120 mg/L. After softening: 0 to 5 mg/L.
• The Jincheon center makes about 280,000 meals a day, and up to 360,000 at most.
• About 60% of the output is triangle rice balls.
• The factory uses about 10 tons of rice a day, and only rice milled within the last 3 days.
• Current factory automation is about 15%. The goal is 30% within 3 years.

Why Rice Gets Hard

Convenience store meals are kept cold and sold after a delay. During cold storage, the starch in rice ages and the rice turns hard. Softened water has less calcium and magnesium. The company says this lets water soak evenly into each grain, so the rice stays soft in the fridge.

Why It Matters

Convenience stores want to be a place for everyday meals, not just quick snacks. Better rice and better in-store cooking could help CU compete with restaurants. The smart oven also aims to fix problems that microwaves had with foods like fried chicken, pizza, and chilled bakery items.

What to Watch

• Whether CU reaches its target of 5,000 to 10,000 smart ovens next year.
• The plan to replace microwaves with smart ovens by 2028.
• Fixes for the smart oven: a shorter cool-down time (now about 2 minutes) and a door lock when the oven is hot.
• New healthy products with chicken breast, eggs, and protein, plus easier-to-carry packaging next year.
• Research on longer shelf life and healthier meal options from the 15-person food tech team.