▲ "Dubai chewy cookies" are on display at a dessert fair at KINTEX, north of Seoul, on Jan. 22, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ People stand in line to buy "Dubai chewy rolls" being sold at a Starbucks cafe in central Seoul on Jan. 30, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ People donate blood at a Korean Red Cross blood donation office in central Seoul on Jan. 29, 2026. The organization is offering "Dubai chewy cookies" as treats for blood donors. (Yonhap)

(Yonhap Feature) food-trend

(Yonhap Feature) 'Dubai chewy cookie' fever sweeps S. Korea

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- A chocolate-coated marshmallow treat stuffed with pistachio cream and butter-toasted shreds of kadaif pastry has become South Korea's latest dessert obsession, flooding social media feeds and bakery counters nationwide.

Dubbed "Dubai chewy cookie," the Dubai chocolate-inspired treat has taken the country by storm, with the indulgent dessert continuing to capture South Koreans months after going viral.

On Wednesday morning, a queue had immediately formed outside a pop-up bakery specializing in the cookies at a department store in western Seoul when it opened, with workers busily handing out boxes full of the treats.

"I wanted to hop on the trend," said a 25-year-old office worker, who learned about the cookies through an Instagram post shared by a friend. "I picked up a box to share with my colleagues."

The cookies' popularity has soared since they appeared on social media last year, further boosted by K-pop idols, such as Jang Won-young of girl group IVE, sharing them on their accounts.

Long lines outside bakeries specializing in the cookies have become a common sight, with many selling out of the treats due to their massive demand.

A 32-year-old office worker, surnamed Song, said he couldn't get his hands on them and had to settle for alternative treats inspired by the cookie.

"I had a Dubai chewy donut and pizza but they weren't very good," he said. "They weren't the real thing!"

One of the many variations of the cookie that have gone viral is "Dubai chewy gimbab," which transforms the traditional Korean rice roll by replacing the rice with the pistachio and kadaif filling and the seaweed wrapper with the chocolate-dusted marshmallow.

While small bakeries have led the cookie's rise, big businesses have also recently joined the trend, with Starbucks Korea releasing a "Dubai chewy roll" and major bakery franchise Paris Baguette offering the dessert in the form of a mini tart.

The craze has even prompted the Korean Red Cross to offer the cookies to blood donors in a move to encourage more donations.

With their continued popularity, the price of the cookies' ingredients has soared, leading to overall higher prices of the dessert, with some stores selling the small treat for more than 8,000 won (US$5.52) a piece.

According to customs data submitted to Rep. Chung Il-young of the Democratic Party, the price of a ton of imported pistachio last month reached about 28 million won, up 84 percent from the previous year.

The country also imported about 372 tons of pistachio in December last year, more than double last year's monthly average of 167 tons, according to the lawmaker.

"They're really good. I would get them again but the only problem is the price," a 32-year-old, surnamed Yu, said.

Despite the climb in prices, others say they would keep buying the decadent treat.

"The prices do keep rising," said a 37-year-old office worker, surnamed Kim, who has bought the cookies four times. "But seeing my girlfriend happy makes them worth it."

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[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]