Korea’s dessert scene is in flux. As the Du-zzonku (Dubai chewy cookie) craze cools off, butter tteok has swooped in to claim the spotlight. Social media platforms are flooded with butter tteok posts, and retailers—from convenience stores to franchise chains—are racing to roll out related offerings. Industry insiders expect the race for sales around this short-lived trend to continue for a while.
Google Trends data on the 22nd show interest in butter tteok rising since early this month, peaking at a score of 100 on the 14th. Related Instagram hashtags have surpassed 22,000 posts, underlining how quickly the treat went viral.
Butter tteok is inspired by Shanghai’s traditional snack huang you nian gao. Bakers combine glutinous rice flour and tapioca starch, fold in butter, and bake the dough. The result is crisp on the outside and chewy inside—just like the previous du-zzonku trend, it hits the sweet, crunchy and chewy notes that many consumers love.
Retailers that spotted the trend moved fast. Ediya Coffee was the quickest in the franchise sector last month, launching “Condensed Milk–Drizzled Butter Chewy Mochi” for 2,500 KRW (about $1.88). Paris Croissant’s Fashion Five introduced “Butter Chewy Tteok” (5-pack) for 9,600 KRW (about $7.20) on the 13th, and convenience store chain CU began preorders for “Salted Butter Tteok” at 2,200 KRW (about $1.65). Lotte Cinema joined the dessert race with a World Tower–exclusive “Shanghai Butter Tteok.”
Observers say these moves reflect lessons learned from the du-zzonku frenzy. After big retailers hesitated in that previous wave, small shop owners rushed in and captured much of the market—something companies don’t want to repeat.
Still, many experts warn that butter tteok’s popularity may be short-lived. Trend cycles are shrinking, and consumers are reaching a fatigue point. Short-form platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok are often accused of manufacturing trends to chase views and ad revenue. In fact, TikTok videos grab roughly 72% of their total views on the first day and typically have a lifespan of about 35 days. Instagram Reels also generate most of their views within roughly 70 days, which shows how quickly trends spike and fade.
Experts caution that these ultra-short trends are a real business risk for small operators. Last year’s tanghulu craze is a cautionary example: the top tanghulu franchise ballooned to 531 stores in 2023, then shrank to just 151 stores a year later—an abrupt fall that highlights the volatility of fads.
Companies are already jockeying to catch the next wave. On social media, contenders being mentioned include rodded pudding (a U.S.-style spoonable cake), savory meal-replacement desserts often called seibori, and kunafe-like treats that use signature ingredients from Dubai chocolate—each is being floated as a possible next hit.
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