[Today's New Product] Following Dubai Chewy Cookie, "Butter Rice Cake"... CU Launches First in the Industry

A Global Dessert Trend Originating from Shanghai
Limited to 10,000 Units, On Sale from 2 p.m. on March 16

On March 16, CU announced that it would launch the globally trending dessert "Butter Rice Cake" for the first time in the Korean retail industry on the same day.

Butter Rice Cake is a dessert believed to have originated in Shanghai, China. It is characterized by its crispy exterior and chewy interior, achieved by baking a dough made from glutinous rice flour filled with milk and butter, resulting in what is known as a "crispy outside, chewy inside" texture.

Recently, the dessert has been gaining traction among Korean consumers through word-of-mouth on various social media platforms and online communities. It is drawing attention as the next big dessert following last year's popular "Dubai Chewy Cookie" that heated up the domestic dessert market since the end of last year. Currently, there is a growing number of posts and reviews about Butter Rice Cake sold at independent cafes online, and it has become a trending search keyword on food delivery apps, signaling the spread of its popularity. Additionally, as more consumers share recipes and reviews about making Butter Rice Cake at home, sales of ingredients such as glutinous rice flour are also increasing.

CU Launches Butter Tteok, Industry's First. CU

CU tasted products from a famous Shanghai dessert brand through its partners, and after perfecting a recipe that best replicates the crispy and chewy texture of Butter Rice Cake, managed to launch the product within about a month of its initial planning.

The "Salted Butter Rice Cake (2,200 won)" sold by CU this month can be pre-ordered through Pocket CU. Sales will start at 2 p.m. on March 16 with a daily limited quantity of 10,000 units, and the purchased products can be picked up at stores starting on March 20. After that, beginning March 25, the product will be available offline at stores nationwide. This product uses premium natural butter to enhance its savory flavor and is baked using glutinous rice flour in a chestnut-shaped mold to closely resemble the Butter Rice Cake that is currently trending in Shanghai.

Additionally, CU will launch the "Shanghai Style Butter Mochi (3,000 won)" at stores nationwide on March 24. Offered in a two-piece package for greater value, this product uses natural butter to maximize the rich and chewy texture of Butter Rice Cake.

CU has consistently led domestic dessert trends by launching trendy products faster than competitors in the industry. For example, CU quickly identified the Dubai Chewy Cookie trend and was the first in the industry to launch related products in October last year. Currently, CU operates 11 types of Dubai Chewy Cookie-related products, with cumulative sales exceeding 100 million units and total revenue surpassing 20 billion won.

CU's dessert sales have continued to grow in recent years. Over the past three years, year-on-year sales growth rates were 104.4% in 2023, 25.1% in 2024, and 62.3% in 2025. This year (January to February), sales increased by 69.3% compared to the previous year.

Kwon Yujin, Snack Foods Team MD at BGF Retail, said, "As a first mover in the convenience store industry, CU has devoted its efforts to product development to quickly meet the expectations of consumers who want to experience trendy desserts," and added, "We will continue to rapidly track trends not only in Korea but also for popular overseas products, planning products that enhance customer satisfaction."

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