Noodles featured in Oscar-winning film Parasite a hot seller for B.C. Korean supermarket

If you are among the millions of moviegoers who have seen the hit Korean film Parasite then it's hard to forget the scene where a wealthy female character takes comfort in a steaming bowl of cheap instant noodles in her pristine and palatial kitchen.

The noodles at the heart of the scene are called ram-don in the film, also known as jjapaguri. The dish is actually two instant noodle brands mixed together — Chapaghetti, a version of spaghetti noodles with black bean sauce, and Neoguri, a thick udon noodle with spicy flavouring.

The popularity of the film has been good for noodle sales at the Vancouver Korean supermarket H Mart, located on Robson Street in the heart of the city.

"We are getting a lot of inquiries from non-Koreans," said Tae Kim, H Mart's marketing manager. "Before the film, they had no idea what jjapaguri is."

According to Kim, the store's noodle inventory is currently down because sales have been so hot since the film swept the Academy Awards on Feb. 9.

Kim said he is thrilled to see people enjoying a Korean film and, as a result, Korean cuisine.

"I was really excited as a Korean that a Korean movie is well known around the world," he said. "I feel proud that [jjapaguri] is getting more popular every day thanks to the movie."

Kim thinks director Bong Joon-ho is trying to send a message to the audience by having a wealthy character devour cheap noodles. Even if she does eat hers with a little sautéed steak.

"I think it was a joke delivered by Bong that rich people have the same appetite as normal people," said Kim. "We are all the same people trying to live a different type of life."

To hear the complete interview with Tae Kim speaking with CBC's Vivian Luk click here.