Sales Of Braised Pork Knuckles Soar In Thailand For Resembling Moo Deng The Baby Hippo
Moo Deng, the food influencer?
By Celine Low — 20 Sep 2024, 01:35 PM
As the viral baby pygmy hippo jiggles her way into the hearts of netizens, Moo Deng is also sparking a nationwide craving for braised pork knuckles in Thailand
Moo Deng, whose name literally translates to bouncy pig, has been taking the Internet by storm with her adorable bouncy figure. In fact, her jiggliness has reminded people of the tender, wobbly texture of braised pork knuckle.
The resemblance is so uncanny that sales of the dish have surged by 50%, according to Thailand's Channel 3 Plus. Searches for pork knuckle dishes on Thai food delivery app LINE MAN have gone through the roof, surpassing even crowd favourites like shabu-shabu and sushi.
The Moo Deng mania didn't stop at braised pork knuckles
Orders for the popular Thai dish, Kai Palo — a savoury egg and braised pork stew — have doubled in just one month, with over 260,000 servings sold across Thailand.
Small restaurants nationwide, from Bangkok to Pattaya, are also reaping the benefits of this Moo Deng-induced pork craze. Local businesses like Mae Nu Khao Kaeng and Pa Tim Khao Kaeng have been reporting an increase in orders.
Moo Deng's viral fame has even crossed over into the cryptocurrency industry
Moo Deng has been turned into a meme coin!
Several cryptocurrency exchange platforms, such as LBank and BitMart, have begun listing MOODENG (Moo Deng) on the Solana blockchain. According to LBank, the MOODENG meme coin has surged an impressive 190% within the first 24 hours after it was listed on 19 September.
Capitalising on the baby hippo's rising popularity, a crypto trader saw their $800 (approximately RM3,345) investment transform into $400,000 (approximately RM1,672,549) just seven days after investing in Moo Deng (MOODENG).
Wow, a baby hippo's power.
