SEOUL, Jan 12 — South Korea’s latest dessert craze, a sticky, marshmallow-wrapped treat known as the “Dubai chewy cookie” or dujjong-ku, has evolved from a viral sensation into a powerful economic force, reshaping how small businesses, delivery platforms, and even ingredient suppliers operate nationwide.

For many small dessert shops, the dujjong-ku has become a lifeline amid sluggish consumer spending.

According to the Korea Herald, owners report selling hundreds of cookies daily, with some seeing their entire stock of 200 to 300 units sell out within minutes of opening, a frenzy intensified after K-pop star Jang Won-young of Ive shared the dessert on Instagram.

The craze has spread far beyond bakeries. Restaurants with no connection to baked goods – including those selling sushi and spicy chicken feet – have begun offering dujjong-ku as a promotional item to boost their visibility on food delivery apps, where searches for the dessert have surged.

The term has become such a powerful keyword that some stores are inserting it into unrelated menu items simply to appear in search results.

What is ‘Dujjong-ku’?

Originally inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate trend of 2024, the dujjong-ku is a homegrown hybrid.

It combines a filling of pistachio cream and kataifi (a shredded Middle Eastern pastry) wrapped in melted marshmallow and dusted with cocoa powder, resulting in a texture closer to a rice cake than a conventional cookie.

Experts attribute the dessert’s explosive popularity to its sheer visual excess, a familiar formula in Korea’s viral food culture.

Like the “fat macarons” that preceded it, the dujjong-ku offers an exaggerated density and abundance that performs well on social media.

Food critic Yi Yong-jae explains that this reflects a cultural preference for visual impact and perceived generosity.

“It is similar to preferring a table bending under ten dishes, even if some are mediocre, over a carefully prepared three-dish meal,” he said.

This visual feast is amplified by social media, where, as one professor noted, people feel “compelled to try it, not just to eat it, but to participate in the moment.”

The economic ripple effect

This runaway demand is now straining supply chains. The price of pistachio, a key ingredient, has climbed significantly, with domestic retailers reporting hikes of around 20 per cent this year.

As ingredient and packaging costs rise, profit margins are shrinking.

Some shops have already stopped selling dujjong-ku, while others have been forced to raise prices, with a single cookie now selling for more than ₩10,000 (RM28) in some high-demand locations.