Two miners aged 62 and 56 survived for nine days in a collapsed zinc mine (190 meters underground) in ‘Bonghwa’, Korea, with 30 packs of 'instant coffee mix' as their only source of food.

Although some may wonder why they were carrying packs of instant 'coffee mix', the pockets of miners aren’t the only place you can find 'cofee mix'.

-Two miners walked out alive after being trapped underground for 221 hours.(Nov. 08. 2022)-

The iconic yellow packs of 'Maxim' instant coffee, made by 'Dong Suh Foods', can be easily spotted in any environment that requires strenuous work — a company’s office kitchenette, busy construction sites or even in bags of hikers.

Instant coffee is packaged with sugar and cream. Also called "coffee mix' or ‘mixed coffee’.

Korean people usually drink one cup before work, one cup after lunch.

It has a sweet taste and above all is easy to drink and prepare. It is a 'must-have item' for a company, store and etc.

The convenience that you can easily drink instant coffee with just boiling water in a bag of mix has become very popular. Korean products have standardized taste and are generally similar.

In 1976, 'Dongsuh Foods' in Korea came up with the idea of mixing one-serving per bag and developed the world's first 'coffee mix' in a one-serving style. The style is square pack or stick pack.

A pack of 'Maxim Coffee Mix' comes ready with sugar and freeze-dried coffee and creamer, with people only required to tear off the top tab of the coffee mix pack and pour it into a cup of hot water. 

Sugar and cream in mixed coffee also helps with hunger to some extent.

A 12-gram pack of Coffee Mix is 50 calories, containing 9 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of which are sugar, and 1.6 grams of fat.

The sugar and fat contained in the coffee mixes are also a quick energy booster, especially nice for people working physically exhausting jobs.

Creamers in the 'coffee mix' are made from palm oil.

Saturated fats in palm and coconut oil are fatty acids that are easily absorbed by the body and can be quickly converted into energy.

A lot of people engaging in outdoor activities or physical labor tend to enjoy 'coffee mix', with many quickly making a cup of coffee when they take a rest or want an instant energy boost.”

A company’s kitchenette is another place in which the packs of instant coffee can almost always be found, with the sweet and caffeinated drink powering employees up for a hard day at work.
The 'coffee mix' are often featured in Korean dramas as well.

Indonesia was Korea’s biggest market, importing coffee mixes worth $50.3 million, followed by China, Russia, Israel and Taiwan.