After last year's "Dubai chocolate" craze faded, the name Dubai is drawing attention again in the dessert market. This time it's not chocolate but "chewy cookies." As with the Dubai chocolate, the trend is spreading mainly on social media, and some shops are even seeing open-run lines right after opening.
As of the 23rd, the distribution and food industry says consumer interest in the Dubai jjondeuk cookie is growing. On Baemin, which holds the No. 1 market share among delivery apps, the average number of searches for Dubai jjondeuk cookie in December jumped about 17 times compared with the average in October. During the same period, the average number of searches on Baemin for "Dujjonku," a shortened term for Dubai jjondeuk cookie, surged about 1,500 times.
Sales of Dubai dessert items at convenience stores also increased. According to BGF Retail, which operates the CU convenience store chain, about 810,000 units of "Dubai chewy chapssaltteok" sold from its Oct. 15 launch through the 21st. During the same period, about 220,000 units of "Dubai choco brownie" were sold. "Dubai chewy macaron," launched about a month ago, also sold about 290,000 units in the same period. According to GS Retail, which operates GS25, sales of Dubai chocolate desserts, including "Dubai chewy choco balls," were about four times higher from Dec. 1 to 21 than in January this year.
The industry sees the reasons for the Dubai jjondeuk cookie's popularity as somewhat different from the earlier Dubai chocolate trend. The Dubai chocolate's popularity cooled quickly as it remained a "try-it-once experience consumption" due to limited imported supply and a high-end image. Still, the Dubai concept, fronted by an exotic image, left an imprint in consumers' minds.
In this context, analysts say a dessert form that is familiar yet differentiated has reignited the Dubai craze. The credit goes to combining chewy texture and an exotic concept with familiar dessert formats such as cookies, chapssaltteok, and macarons. Office worker Kim Yeon-hee, 29, said, "At first I saw it on social media and bought it out of curiosity, but I'm someone who likes chewy textures, so I fell in love as soon as I tried it," adding, "These days I even pre-order three to four pieces to pick up on my way home from work."
Dubai jjondeuk cookie products are rapidly spreading beyond independent cafes to convenience stores and delivery platforms, expanding consumer touchpoints. For example, Baemin recently added a category called "Dubai snacks" in the app and is showing, via a pickup map, where Dubai jjondeuk cookies are sold. A distribution industry official said, "During the Dubai chocolate craze, the buzz was big, but the room to handle it in distribution channels was limited," adding, "This time, commercialization is possible in various forms, widening the testing range, and in many cases, the consumption experience led to repeat purchases."
A food industry official said, "Dubai chocolate quickly faded because the price felt somewhat burdensome and the difficulty of making it properly acted as a barrier to entry," adding, "As differently varied forms of desserts are emerging in many places, the popularity of Dubai jjondeuk cookies will continue for a while."
Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University, said, "Desserts are among foreign foods that consumers find relatively easy to try," adding, "There are not a few cases where a dessert concept from a particular country trends once and then trends again in a different form."