Korean food overtook fried chicken as the second-most-popular delivery food last year, according to on-demand delivery platform Vroong on Monday.

While burgers remained the most popular food ordered via Vroong in 2020 and fried chicken was pushed to third place, desserts swapped places with “bunsik” -- a category that includes popular street food items such as gimbap, tteokbokki and fish cakes.

Mesh Korea, the company behind the food delivery app, attributed the greater popularity of Korean food and desserts to the strict social distancing rules introduced to curb the coronavirus pandemic. Due to virus fears and the distancing rules, people ate more meals and more desserts at home, it added.

Specific dishes that saw a jump in demand included typical Korean meal items such as soups, side dishes and stews also known as jjigae.

Convenience store orders saw 212 percent year-on-year growth in volume, especially between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., during which delivery volume jumped over fourfold, the Vroong data showed.

The figures show the growing popularity of 24-hour delivery service last year, especially at night, with nighttime deliveries accounting for 12 percent of all orders.

“As companies have focused on developing and producing products to meet the ever-so-changing customer needs and demands, we have focused on preparing to deliver those products in the fastest and most effective way possible,” said CEO Yoo Jung-beom.

“We plan to continue our innovation as a comprehensive digital logistics service in the rapidly changing distribution and logistics market post-pandemic,” he added.

Vroong was founded in 2013 and offers last-mile delivery of a variety of items from franchises, ranging from food to consumer goods. It boasts some 47,000 freelance riders and drivers and some 420 logistics bases across the country.

Since 2018, Mesh Korea has teamed up with franchise cafes and retailers to offer a wider range of brands. These include Ediya Coffee, Paris Baguette and CU.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)