Mukbang

The name comes from the Korean words for eating and broadcast, and the format grew on Korean streaming platforms around 2010 before spreading worldwide through YouTube. The appeal is company at mealtimes, the sound of eating for viewers who enjoy it, and spectacle at the extreme end where quantity becomes the whole point.

It splits into two rough camps. Quiet, close-miked eating trades on ASMR, while the loud end trades on shock. Both attract sustained criticism over food waste and the health of the hosts, and several countries have discussed regulating the extreme versions. Audio quality carries the format, so the microphone is the main piece of kit.