"Four-Hour Waits Are the Norm, Even Crazier Than the Dujjonku Craze"...'Ultra-Short-Term Trends' Spread via SNS [The Way We Shop Now]

'Dujjonku' and 'Bomdong' Fade, Now 'Butter Tteok' Takes Over
Open Runs Everywhere... Four-Hour Waits Become the Norm
"Ultra-Short Trend" Spreads Rapidly via SNS
"Trends Are Moving Too Fast"—Fatigue Also on the Rise

Editor's NoteWhat are people buying these days? From household items that are must-buys at Daiso, to cosmetics that sell out instantly at Olive Young, and even bread that people line up for. These familiar scenes of consumption perfectly capture the current market trends. <The Way We Shop Now> is a series that deciphers today’s consumer trends through the lens of ‘best-sellers’ in everyday life. It explores what products are chosen and what strategies actually open wallets—making the changes in the marketplace easy and interesting to understand.

'Butterddeok', recently trending mainly on social networking services (SNS). Photo by X

"On weekends, a four-hour wait is the norm. The frenzy during the Dubai Chewy Cookie (Dujjonku) craze was nothing compared to now."

Recently, 'Butter Tteok' has emerged as a new dessert trend, especially on social networking services (SNS). The so-called 'crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside' texture—referred to as 'geotbasokjjol'—has become popular by word of mouth, resulting in long waits and even 'open runs' at some stores. Industry insiders note that the food trend cycle based on SNS is getting shorter, as new food crazes appear even before the Dujjonku phenomenon has subsided.

'Dujjonku' Fades, 'Butter Tteok' Rises...Rapidly Trending on SNS

Butter Tteok originated as a snack in Shanghai, China. It is made by baking a dough of glutinous rice flour and tapioca starch with butter and milk, resulting in a crispy exterior and a chewy inside. Locally, it is called 'Huang You Nian Gao'—a combination of 'huang you' meaning butter and 'nian gao' meaning rice cake. The butter tteok from the Chinese coffee franchise Luckin Coffee is especially well-known.

Butter Tteok began gaining attention among Korean consumers through Chinese travel vlogs and mukbang content. Recipe videos quickly spread on SNS, causing an explosive surge in interest within a short period of time.

Posts related to Butter Tteok. Instagram capture

Sells Out on Sight...No. 1 Search Term on Delivery Apps

In reality, long lines of customers are forming daily at major café districts in Seoul. One bakery café in Seoul reportedly produces 1,000 to 1,500 pieces of butter tteok per day, but most are sold out the same day. As demand has surged, some stores have started limiting the number of purchases per person.

Search data also indicates a dramatic spike in interest. According to the search analytics service Google Trends, domestic search interest for 'Butter Tteok' was virtually nonexistent until late last month, but has surged sharply this month. Within just a few days, the interest index soared more than tenfold, reaching its highest level. On multiple delivery platforms, Butter Tteok has held the top spot in search rankings for several days.

Coupang Eats Popular Search Rankings. Buttertteok is in first place. Screenshot from Coupang Eats App

Sales of Glutinous Rice Flour and Tapioca Soar...Concerns Over Ingredient Price Hikes

As the trend spreads, sales of core ingredients like glutinous rice flour and tapioca starch are also surging. According to Emart, sales of glutinous rice flour from early last month—when the butter tteok trend began—until March 10 have increased by 108.6% compared to the same period last year. Tapioca starch sales rose by 37.5% over the same period.

Some have voiced concerns about potential price hikes for key ingredients. Just as prices for pistachios and kadaif spiked during the Dujjonku craze, butter tteok ingredients could also become more expensive. In fact, some online retailers have already slightly increased the price of glutinous rice flour.

"Trends Are Too Fast"...Fatigue Is Spreading

On SNS, some are criticizing the pace at which dessert trends are changing. Some consumers have shared their fatigue, saying, "Every time I wake up, there's a new trend," and "It's exhausting trying to keep up."

On January 30, citizens were waiting to purchase 'Dujjonroll' at a Starbucks store in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

Some are even questioning whether these trends are 'manufactured' intentionally by the combination of SNS, influencers, and the distribution industry. The rapid speed at which trends go viral is fueling this perception. There are also concerns that this process is encouraging unnecessary excess consumption.

'Ultra-Short-Term Trends' Era

Industry experts believe that as short-form content platforms gain influence, these food fads and shifts in consumer behavior are likely to continue. Especially for menu items with simple recipes and easily available ingredients, there's a high tendency for consumers to try making them themselves—fueling a trend of 'do-it-yourself consumption.'

Dubai Chewy Cookies. Getty Images

Experts agree that, as trends now form and disappear rapidly on SNS, a company's ability to quickly identify and respond to these fads will be a key factor in market competitiveness.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.