"I've Never Seen Such Long Lines in Gwangju... Owner Nearly in Tears"—SNS Frenzy Over Local Rice Cake Shop

Gwangju Local Rice Cake Shop 'Changokddeok' in the Spotlight
Explosive Popularity Fueled by SNS Word of Mouth

Long lines stretched out last weekend to buy Chang-eok Tteok. Screenshot from SNS

A local rice cake shop in Gwangju Metropolitan City, with a proud 60-year tradition, has recently gone viral on social networking services (SNS), resulting in explosive popularity. Even during weekday afternoons, long lines form in front of the store, and some visitors have reported waiting for over an hour before giving up and leaving.

On March 17, posts and photos certifying visits to the Gwangju-based rice cake shop "Changoktteok" were continuously uploaded across various SNS platforms. Users shared the atmosphere at the shop, posting comments such as, "I'm from Gwangju, but I've never seen such a long line," "I waited an hour but couldn't buy anything," and "The line is huge even on a weekday afternoon." One visitor remarked, "I went on Saturday and the owner looked like he was about to cry," describing how the shop was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of customers.

'Rediscovery' of a 60-Year-Old Rice Cake Shop

Changoktteok began as a small rice cake shop in the Dongmyeong-dong market, Dong-gu, Gwangju, in 1965. Since then, it has remained a beloved local business among Gwangju citizens for over 60 years and now operates its main store in Jungheung-dong, Buk-gu, with additional locations in Dongmyeong, U Square, and Daejeon.

Changyeoktteok's signature menu item 'Pumpkin Injeolmi'. SNS screenshot

Its signature menu item is "Pumpkin Injeolmi." This rice cake features a chewy pumpkin-flavored glutinous rice exterior coated in soft castella powder, giving it a sweet yet savory flavor profile. When searching for "Pumpkin Injeolmi" or "Changoktteok" on SNS, one can find hundreds of pieces of content—from short-form videos showing the chewy texture and castella powder being scooped up, to clips introducing ways to receive the rice cake at room temperature.

YouTube Channel "Hamall Neomman" Vlog Creates a Buzz

Changoktteok has seen even more visitors recently after being reviewed by well-known YouTubers.

The YouTube channel "Hamall Neomman," which has about 770,000 subscribers, released a Gwangju travel video on March 5. In the video, the YouTubers tasted Changoktteok's Pumpkin Injeolmi on a train after finishing their Gwangju trip. They commented, "We've often ordered this rice cake online, but didn't know the main store was in Gwangju," and added, "It tastes on a different level here at the flagship store—it's much chewier."

Eating pumpkin injeolmi rice cake from Changyeoktteok on the YouTube channel "Hamall Neomman". Screenshot from the YouTube channel "Hamall Neomman".

The video, showcasing their enthusiastic reactions while eating the rice cake, piqued viewers' curiosity and quickly went viral, accompanied by comments like, "What does it taste like to get such a reaction?" Subsequently, posts certifying visits began to appear on SNS, and Changoktteok is now naturally being mentioned as a "must-visit spot in Gwangju."

Experts predict that as local brands continue to gain new opportunities through SNS, the influence of online content in the traditional food industry will only grow stronger.

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