The KPop Demon Hunters and Loot star shared his hot takes on some of the year's biggest food trends with Taste of Home.
Comedian Joel Kim Booster wasn’t always the type of actor to have strong opinions on food. In fact, in a recent interview, Joel told me it wasn’t until the 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike that he really got into cooking in the first place.
“I realized I had no hobbies other than media consumption, and I needed to learn how to do something else,” he said.
These days, the busy Hollywood star known for his roles in popular movies and series like KPop Demon Hunters, Loot and Fire Island knows his way around the kitchen. He’s especially drawn to dishes that put a fresh twist on nostalgic favorites from his childhood growing up in the heart of the Midwest—Plainfield, Illinois, to be specific.
“Butter is a big part of my day-to-day in a way that I don’t think it is for a lot of people in LA,” Joel told me.
What are Joel Kim Booster’s favorite foods to cook at home?
Joel’s love for culinary nostalgia manifests in a number of ways. During the holidays, he saves plenty of room for a butter-forward childhood favorite—stuffing—which he puts his personal spin on with a cornbread sausage stuffing.
“I’m a stuffing fiend,” he said. “It’s the best holiday food, bar none.”
Year-round, he likes to jazz up a wallet-friendly childhood staple, Cup Noodles instant ramen, with toppings like a soft-boiled egg, fresh scallion, pork belly or bacon and a bit of Sriracha sauce.
“It’s so simple, but it can be elevated to something so delicious as well,” Joel said. His love for the versatile meal even turned into a partnership with Nissin for an office holiday party “rescue” campaign. Cup Noodles and hanging out with Joel seems like quite the end-of-year party to me!
What does Joel Kim Booster think about 2025 food trends?
Speaking of holidays and wrapping up the year, I asked Joel how he feels about some of the biggest food trends that will define 2025. There were a few things he was less than enthusiastic about, with one key exception.
While Dubai chocolate continues to pop up just about anywhere and everywhere these days, the comedian is a skeptic.
“I haven’t had it yet. Should I?” he asked. “The thing is, chocolate is chocolate is chocolate. I don’t care where the chocolate is from. In a blind taste test, I bet you I’d still pick Hershey’s.”
As for Crumbl-style gooey-soft mega cookies, Joel said he prefers “the cookie made properly.” And you won’t catch him scrolling TikTok for the best dense bean salad recipes. “If you bring a bean salad to a holiday party, you’ve brought a live weapon to that party,” he joked. “A bomb will go off eventually once those beans hit people’s digestive systems.”
Joel’s also not on board with the trend of protein-infused everything from ice cream to Pop-Tarts. “Let’s keep it to the meat,” he said. “Is nothing sacred?”
There is one trending food item the actor can’t get enough of, though: tinned fish. As it turns out, the buzzy category is another throwback to his childhood. He especially loves the offerings from the brand Fishwife, he shared.
“When I was growing up, I would eat sardines out of a tin like candy,” Joel said. “Now they’re trying to make it fancy and bougie, and I’m OK with that.”
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