Translation result
‘Du-jjonku’ desserts keep rolling out
Café franchise chains are jumping in
Sales bumps and consumer buzz remain strong
[Asia Times — Reporter Kim Min-sol] The Du-jjonku craze — chewy, Dubai‑style cookies that blew up last year — might look like it’s cooling off, but food makers are still racing to launch Dubai‑style desserts that lean into rich pistachio spread and an addictive crunch.
On March 23, Crown Confectionery announced a Dubai‑Style Choco Heim that reimagines the classic Choco Heim wafer and cream in a Dubai dessert format. The chocolate wafer is filled with pistachio cream, and the company will release a limited run of 550,000 units.
Crown says the product was inspired by consumers sharing recipes that turn Heim into Du‑jjonku, so the new edition even includes a Heim-based Du‑jjonku recipe printed on the package back.
Earlier, Haitai Confectionery converted five of its hits — HomeRun Ball, Yes’s Cake Shop, Butterring, Jayu Time, and Choco Pick — into Dubai‑style desserts. The company says it picked brands best suited to capture that distinctive Dubai dessert flavor.
A Crown spokesperson described the release as a special edition that reframes Dubai‑style — now a go‑to dessert category for younger consumers — through Heim’s charm. \”We’ll keep rolling out Heim items that tap new trends so fans can enjoy flavors that feel both familiar and fresh,\” they said.
Lotte Wellfood has expanded its Dubai‑Style Pistachio lineup to six items across packaged snacks and frozen treats.
The company first produced a limited batch of Myeongga Chaltteok Pie Dubai‑st Pistachio, which sold out on its official online store within a week. That strong demand pushed Lotte Wellfood into additional production, and it plans to add five more Dubai‑style pistachio products by April.
The upcoming releases include three packaged items — Dubai‑st Chewy Manju, Crunchy Devil Pistachio, and Crunchy Choco Bar Dubai‑st Pistachio — and two frozen items — Crunchy Monaka Dubai‑st Pistachio and Crunchy Bar Dubai‑st Pistachio. The three packaged items will be limited editions; the two frozen items will become regular offerings.
Café and dessert franchises are still paying close attention to Dubai‑style launches.
Baskin‑Robbins has expanded its March Flavor of the Month, \”Mom from Dubai Is an Alien,\” into a dessert item called the Dubai‑st Sundae.
Krispy Kreme, operated by Lotte GRS, recently introduced a new doughnut called Dubai Choco, and premium coffee and ice cream brand Baekmidang will sell three limited‑edition Dubai Choco Ice Cream varieties starting on the 26th.
Because dessert trends in Korea change fast — roughly every three to four months — some analysts say the Dubai‑style craze may be tapering. Google Trends, which scales search interest from 0 to 100, shows searches for Du‑jjonku peaked at 100 from Jan. 11–18 this year and then plunged. The most recent week (15–22) scored 17, about one‑fifth of the peak. During that span, interest in the Shanghai dessert butter tteok climbed instead.
Still, food companies keep betting on pistachio‑spread and kataifi‑style creations because Dubai‑style products are still moving the needle. For example, Baskin‑Robbins’ March flavor \”Mom from Dubai Is an Alien\” sold more than 1 million single regular scoops within 15 days of launch.
Most Commented