K-Pop Craze Transforms Australian School Canteen Menus with 200% Korean Food Surge
What children are watching, streaming, and discussing is profoundly shaping their eating habits more than ever before, with Korean-inspired lunches experiencing an unprecedented surge across Australian schools. This remarkable shift is largely attributed to the explosive popularity of the KPop Demon Hunters film and broader K-pop culture, which have captivated school-aged audiences nationwide.
Streaming Sensation Drives Playground Conversations and Food Choices
The KPop Demon Hunters film has become a streaming phenomenon across multiple platforms, blending vibrant K-pop style music, dynamic animation, and high-energy storytelling that resonates deeply with younger viewers. Clips, songs, and characters from the film have gone viral on social media platforms including TikTok and YouTube, fueling playground conversations and fan culture that extends far beyond screen time.
Now, compelling new data from online canteen ordering service Flexischools reveals a staggering 200 per cent increase in orders of Korean-style meals during 2025. This dramatic rise signals a sharp departure from traditional Australian canteen staples like sausage rolls and party pies that once dominated school lunch menus.
Korean Dishes Become Canteen Regulars Nationwide
Bulgogi beef bowls, Korean flame-grilled chicken burgers, and Korean-style chicken with rice have transformed from occasional offerings to regular menu items in schools across the country. This culinary evolution reflects the growing influence of youth culture on everyday food choices and represents a significant shift in Australian eating patterns.
Flexischools CEO Rachel Debeck explained that children are no longer passive recipients of predetermined canteen menus. "Flexischools data shows Korean-inspired canteen meals rose almost 200 per cent year-on-year in 2025," Debeck stated. "Part of that growth is the influence of youth social trends, including K-pop and the popularity of KPop Demon Hunters, which shapes not only what kids are talking about, but what they are choosing to eat."
Beyond Pop Culture: A Deeper Culinary Transformation
While pop culture has acted as a powerful accelerator for Korean food popularity, Debeck emphasized that this trend runs deeper than a single fandom moment. "It's not just pop culture. School menus are becoming far more global and kids today are growing up with far broader exposure to international cuisines at home, in restaurants, and online," she explained.
"It's a combination of both because, while pop culture sparks awareness, kids' palates have evolved and they're now driving many of the trends we're seeing in school canteens and tuckshops." Debeck noted that Korean food has benefited from the global rise of K-pop, but its staying power ultimately comes from the children themselves.
"The increasing popularity of K-pop has helped bring Korean flavours into the spotlight, both in our restaurants and retail outlets and in schools with dishes like Korean flame-grilled chicken burgers and bulgogi bowls quickly becoming menu regulars," she said. "But the bigger shift is that children themselves are shaping what's popular."
International Flavours Reshaping Australian School Food
The dramatic rise in Korean lunch orders represents just one aspect of a broader transformation occurring in Australian school canteens. During 2025, sushi overtook sausage rolls nationally as the most ordered item, while Asian-inspired meals and high-protein chicken dishes surged across multiple states.
"It shows that the idea of 'Australian school food' is expanding and modernising in a really meaningful way," Debeck observed. "School canteens today look nothing like they did 20 years ago. They've evolved into modern offerings that mirror the cultural diversity, global food trends and dietary needs seen in Australian households."
She highlighted that strong growth in other international flavours demonstrates this shift is structural rather than fleeting. "The shift toward Korean, Japanese and Indian flavours, with dishes like butter chicken receiving more than half a million orders and Korean-inspired dishes increasing by almost 200 per cent, highlights how the classic Aussie canteen is embracing multicultural tastes," Debeck explained.
Changing Family Routines Drive Canteen Convenience
Simultaneously, evolving family routines are reshaping how school lunches are organised. With many parents balancing both work and school commitments, convenience has become a primary driver behind increased canteen ordering.
"Parents are experiencing more time poverty than ever," Debeck noted. "Many are turning to canteens and tuckshops because it saves 100-plus hours a year compared with making lunches at home — not to mention the stress it takes out of trying to get out the door each morning."
This pressure, she emphasized, is being felt in households across the nation. "With 71 per cent of couple families having both parents working, many of them are struggling to balance work, school, and home life," Debeck said. "Parents are increasingly turning to canteen ordering because it saves them valuable time, gives their kids more variety during the week, and ensures they're getting food to power them through an afternoon of learning."
Nutritional Alignment and Practical Preparation
The remarkable success of Korean food in school canteens also stems from how well these dishes align with current nutritional preferences and the practical realities of school kitchen operations.
"Korean dishes naturally fit what both kids and parents are gravitating towards right now," Debeck explained. "Flexischools data shows that students are increasingly choosing high-protein meals, signalling a clear shift toward meals that feel filling, nutritious and balanced."
"Korean-inspired options line up perfectly with these preferences: they're built around familiar ingredients like rice, chicken and mild sauces, offer solid protein, include vegetables, and deliver bold but approachable flavours that aren't overly spicy." She added that these dishes work exceptionally well in a canteen environment because they're simple to prepare at scale, travel well in lunch formats, and offer reliable consistency.
Nostalgic Favorites Maintain Their Place
Despite the global expansion of school canteen menus, Debeck emphasized that nostalgic favorites still maintain their place in Australian schools. "It's a big departure from the classic canteen experience I remember, but it's overwhelmingly a positive shift," she said.
"And interestingly, those nostalgic favourites aren't disappearing — they're still on the menu, with a million party pies, 488,000 jelly cups and 426,000 Zooper Doopers ordered last year. So, rather than replacing tradition, modern menus are expanding."
A Permanent Fixture in Future School Menus
Far from representing a temporary trend, Debeck believes Korean-inspired meals will become firmly embedded in school menus for years to come. "All signs point to Korean meals sticking around," she predicted. "The data shows they didn't just spike, they doubled, firmly embedding themselves in the mainstream menu."
"As school canteens continue to diversify and embrace more global influences each year, it's likely Korean dishes will sit comfortably alongside new flavours rather than fade away. School lunches in 2026 are set to be more varied, more global and more reflective of modern family life. Korean-inspired meals have become an integral part of that new normal."
