"Sold Out Due to High Demand" Jeju Ma-eum Sand and Gapyeong Matnam Sand Popular

Wido Peanuts and Gapyeong Pine Nuts Used... Paris Baguette Launches Region-Specific Products
Sold Out Within 1 Hour... Scarcity Excites MZ Generation

Paris Baguette's Jeju Ma-eum Sand.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Choi Yeonji (32), who went on a trip to Jeju with her family, rushed to the Paris Baguette Jeju Airport store as soon as she arrived at Jeju Airport but could not hide her disappointment when an employee told her, "Today's sales are all sold out." She was unable to get the ‘Jeju Ma-eum Sand,’ which is sold only at this store. It turned out that this store, which opens at 6 a.m., has tourists lining up well before opening time to purchase Jeju Ma-eum Sand, and the entire daily sales quantity is sold out within less than an hour after opening. Feeling that she could not get this product once she left Jeju Island, Choi turned back, promising herself to try again on the last day of her vacation.

According to the related industry on the 4th, Paris Baguette launched Jeju Ma-eum Sand, sold only at the Jeju Airport store, in August 2019 and has sold a cumulative total of 8 million units to date.

Jeju Ma-eum Sand is a product made by sandwiching crispy cookies engraved with Jeju’s mountains and sea, filled with Jeju’s local specialty ‘Udo peanuts,’ butter, and caramel. The purchase quantity per consumer is currently limited to 2 boxes per day, and it has been experiencing a shortage every day since its launch.

In April last year, they temporarily sold ‘Family Month’ gift sets nationwide via their own application (app) with delivery service. At that time, the app experienced delays due to overwhelming traffic, attracting explosive interest. This promotion ended at the end of last year, and currently, there is no way to obtain the product other than visiting the Jeju Airport store in person.

In addition, Paris Baguette Jeju International Airport store offers various products using Jeju-specialized ingredients such as bread and sandwiches made with Jeju black pork sausage and ‘Udo Peanut Latte’ made with Udo peanuts.

Paris Baguette's Gapyeong Matnam Sandwich.

Riding on the popularity of Jeju Ma-eum Sand, Paris Baguette launched ‘Gapyeong Matnam Sand’ last August, using pine nuts, a specialty of the Gapyeong area in Gyeonggi Province, and started limited sales only at the Paris Baguette store in the Gapyeong rest area on the Chuncheon route. They sell limited quantities freshly made daily in three sizes depending on the number of pieces: small (5 pieces), medium (10 pieces), and large (15 pieces).

Gapyeong Matnam Sand offers a savory yet sweet flavor by adding butter, caramel, and Gapyeong pine nuts inside butter cookies. The surface of the cookie is engraved with an image of pine nut drops symbolizing Gapyeong pine nuts. It is suitable as a travel snack or gift and is especially popular among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z), who are enthusiastic about rarity.

An industry insider said, "As domestic travel demand increases due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, tourist destinations are emerging as major consumption spaces," adding, "Souvenirs that capture memories from travel destinations are also popular, and companies are focusing on developing regionally specialized new products."