New food trends are emerging in rapid succession, with fad cycles growing increasingly shorter even before the Dubai chewy cookie craze has fully subsided.
The Dubai chewy cookie, known as "Dujjonku" in Korea, is a domestic dessert inspired by Dubai chocolate, which gained popularity in 2024. Filled with kadaif and pistachio cream and wrapped in cocoa marshmallow, the product has a texture closer to rice cake despite its name. The treat became so popular that convenience stores and food companies rushed to launch related products.
Following the Dujjonku trend, social media users began sharing content of making "bomdong bibimbap"—a spring cabbage rice bowl dish—after broadcaster Kang Ho-dong ate it on television.
Before the bomdong bibimbap craze could fully take hold, Chinese-style "butter rice cake" has emerged as the latest trend. Derived from Shanghai dessert "huang yao nian gao," butter rice cake features a crispy exterior and chewy interior. Recipe videos and cafe reviews are spreading rapidly across social media platforms.
The speed of trends in the dessert market has become alarmingly short. Honey Butter Chips, introduced in 2014, caused a 17-month shortage before demand plummeted. Taiwanese castella, popular in early 2016, declined after roughly 15 months.
Tanghulu spread rapidly in May 2023, but mass closures followed just 12 months later around May 2024. Demand has now shrunk to tourist areas. Honeycomb ice cream and Schneeballen also ended as fleeting fads.
This pattern explains why restaurant entrepreneurs view the Dujjonku boom with anxiety. Those who launch businesses riding trends face direct hits when the cycle turns.
However, some observers remain optimistic about Dujjonku's sustainability. "Dubai-style" desserts using pistachio and kadaif are establishing themselves as a category, suggesting room for expansion into various formats. As a variant of Dubai chocolate, Dujjonku could spawn derivative products, analysts say.
