Jennie Craved This Korean Soul Food After Coachella — But It Comes With a Health Warning

K-pop superstar Jennie, who stole the spotlight at the global music festival Coachella, revealed her surprisingly down-to-earth routine after the show.

Appearing on tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block on May 7, Jennie opened up about her experience performing at Coachella. “It was the first time in my life I felt truly relieved,” she said. “I even thought, ‘I could take a break from work for a while.’” She powered through a 50-minute set, performing 13 songs straight without a single outfit change.

When asked how often she re-watched the performance, Jennie laughed and said, “I watched the full video maybe twice. But clips kept popping up on my phone, so I ended up watching it over and over.” Normally, she admitted, she avoids watching herself. “I tend to fixate on little things when I monitor my performances. But this time, it was such an honest and heartfelt stage—I just wanted to keep watching.”

After returning to Korea, Jennie fully embraced rest mode. “I stayed home, rested a lot, and ate delicious food. That was basically it,” she said. Her first big meal? A delivery order of six types of kimbap (Korean seaweed rice rolls) with instant noodles. “I love the original and tuna kimbap the most,” she added with a smile.

But here’s a twist—while kimbap might look like a harmless comfort food, it can cause a sharp spike in blood sugar, especially for those mindful of their health.

The main ingredient, white rice, is a high-glycemic carbohydrate that gets digested quickly and causes rapid increases in blood sugar. Kimbap also often includes processed ingredients like pickled radish, fish cakes, and sausages, all of which are high in sugar and sodium. Many recipes even add sugar when seasoning the rice, making the total sugar content higher than expected. So, while it looks like a simple meal, kimbap can be a hidden landmine for anyone managing their blood sugar levels.

Professor Jeong Hee-won, a geriatric specialist at Asan Medical Center and a YouTube content creator, once commented, “Kimbap is basically a carb bomb. Eating it before a performance can make you super sleepy”—a classic symptom of blood sugar spikes.

So how can you enjoy kimbap without the crash? Start by swapping white rice for brown or mixed grains to increase fiber and slow down digestion. Minimize sugar and salt when seasoning the rice, and choose natural ingredients like fresh vegetables, eggs, or tofu instead of processed fillings. Finally, eating protein or veggies before digging into the kimbap can help prevent a blood sugar rollercoaster.

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