{
  "id": 10126040,
  "title": "Chipotle's Seoul store uses long-grain rice developed by Sejong University professor",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/chipotles-seoul-store-uses-long-grain-rice-developed-by-sejong",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-27T03:37:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/education/20260927/chipotles-seoul-store-uses-long-grain-rice-developed-by-sejong-university-professor"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chipotle, the U.S. restaurant chain, has chosen a long-grain rice variety developed by a professor at Sejong University for use in its first Asian location in Seoul. This novel rice, known as IPS, holds a distinctive shape, featuring slender and elongated grains, in contrast to the more compact short-grain rice typically consumed in Korea. The rice variety is relatively unknown to Korean consumers, yet its cultivation and commercialization efforts have been ongoing in Haenam, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City since 2021. The rice, developed by Chin Joong-hyoun, a professor at Sejong University, aims to combat the challenges brought about by climate change and the unpredictable agricultural production landscape. Chin's innovation, IPS, is resilient against flooding, a growing concern in the context of climate change, and also addresses the issue of fertilizer shortages resulting from disruptions in global supply chains. The university has highlighted the potential of IPS in adapting to the evolving agricultural conditions.",
  "summary": "Locally grown long-grain rice is gaining attention after U.S. restaurant chain Chipotle selected it for use at its first location in Asia. The long-grain variety used in Chipotle’s burritos and burrito bowls in its restaurant in Seoul is less sticky and has longer, more slender grains than the short-grain rice commonly consumed in Korea. The variety remains unfamiliar to many Korean consumers.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Chipotle selects IPS rice from Sejong University professor for Seoul store",
    "IPS rice has slender, elongated grains unlike Korean short-grain rice",
    "Developed to tackle climate change and fertilizer shortages"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Chipotle's adoption of Sejong University's IPS long-grain rice in its Seoul store signals a vote of confidence in the variety's resilience against climate-related challenges, benefiting both the restaurant chain and the university's research efforts.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Chipotle's Seoul store uses long-grain rice developed by Sejong University professor",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/chipotles-seoul-store-uses-long-grain-rice-developed-by-sejong-10129254",
        "published": "2026-09-27T03:57:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}