In the predawn cold of a northern Seoul neighbourhood, hundreds of people line the street in padded coats, stamping their feet to keep warm. Adults, students and young children wait patiently for the same thing: a Dubai chewy cookie.
Known in Korean as dujjonku, the dessert has triggered queues that begin before sunrise and sell out within minutes. At one bakery, demand grew so intense that sales were reportedly limited to certain days, before in-store purchases were halted altogether to keep crowds under control.
Elsewhere in the city, a live online map tracks which cafes, bakeries and even hotels still have stock, turning scarcity into a citywide hunt.
The frenzy reflects how quickly trends move in South Korea, one of the world’s most densely populated and digitally connected societies, where word of mouth is amplified by social media and a culture that prizes shared experiences.
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South Korea’s ‘Dubai-style’ chocolate cookies leave fans drooling
South Korea’s ‘Dubai-style’ chocolate cookies leave fans drooling
Interest in dujjonku surged after Jang Won-young of K-pop girl group IVE posted photos of the dessert on social media in September. Momentum built rapidly, and by December the cookie had become a national obsession, with crowds rushing to shops minutes after opening.