Good Eats: The Evolution of Mukbangs on YouTube

A mukbang, or eatcast, is a type of video in which creators eat food on camera. While these kinds of videos have existed on YouTube since its early days, South Korean creators officially gave the format a name and began popularizing it in the early 2010s. By 2015, mukbangs started emerging from creators around the world, who also began integrating them with another popular YouTube format, ASMR. Nowadays, it’s common to see animated mukbangs, as well as mukbang’s impact on other formats, such as interview shows.

The ongoing evolution of mukbangs speaks to the needs the videos meet for viewers: In addition to providing sensory stimulation — those satisfying slurps and crunches — they offer companionship, creating a space for audiences to sit down and “share” a meal with creators. So far this year, views of videos with "mukbang" in the title have received more than 30B views.*

On this day three years ago, the term “mukbang” was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary, further cementing its cultural impact. We’re taking the opportunity to celebrate this community of eaters with a special, animated version of the YouTube logo (called a Yoodle).

We also couldn’t miss the chance to bring together hyuneeEats, Eat Spicy with Tee, and Mythical Kitchen for an in person episode of Like & Describe with host MatPat. Join them as they take part in a mukbang and explore how the format has evolved, then head here for more sit-down meals with creators.

_{Source: YouTube data, Global, January 1 - July 31 2024.}