Tanghulu is Now Out of Trend... European Desserts That MZ Generation Are Crazy About These Days [Youth Report]

Yogurt Ice Cream Captures the Taste of the 1020 Generation
Popular Variety of Toppings to Suit Preferences
Tanghulu Trend Lasted Until Last Year but Is Now Fading

Recently, yogurt ice cream has been gaining popularity, especially among young people. Until last year, tanghulu, which is fruit coated with sugar, was the trend, but as interest in health has increased, yogurt ice cream is becoming more popular. Yogurt ice cream is characterized by the ability to choose various toppings such as fresh fruit, honey, and cereal according to personal preference. As a result, various topping combination methods are being shared on social networking services (SNS).

Yogurt Ice Cream Eaten Differently According to Taste... Inquiries About Starting a Business Also Follow

Yogurt ice cream. [Image source=Yoajung Instagram]

A representative franchise of yogurt ice cream is 'Yoajeong' (the standard of yogurt ice cream). Since opening its first store in 2021, the number of franchise stores has rapidly increased starting this year. According to the Fair Trade Commission’s disclosure document on the 27th, Yoajeong increased its number of stores from 99 in 2021, when it began recruiting franchisees, to 158 in 2022, and 166 in 2023. Currently, it operates a total of 298 stores nationwide. This is the third-largest number of dessert franchise stores after the ice cream brand 'Baskin Robbins' and the dessert franchise 'Sulbing'.

There are various reasons why Yoajeong has become popular. First, it is analyzed that the variety of customizable toppings according to taste influenced its popularity. Yoajeong offers a variety of toppings ranging from fresh fruits such as pineapple, banana, and kiwi to honey sticks, tiramisu, granola, and more. As a result, netizens post on SNS using keywords like 'Yoajeong honey combo'. Additionally, celebrities such as Davichi’s Kang Min-kyung and YouTuber Ipjjalheun Haetnim have recommended their own toppings, making Yoajeong even more of a hot topic.

If you search '#Yoajeong' on Instagram, you will find over 5,000 posts.
[Image source=Instagram]

In this situation, Yoajeong’s sales are soaring. Trillions, the company operating Yoajeong, saw its sales jump from 500 million KRW in 2021 to 5.096 billion KRW last year. This is more than a tenfold increase in two years. During the same period, operating profit also increased about 2.5 times from 116 million KRW to 287 million KRW.

Interest in starting a business related to yogurt ice cream is also growing. On 'Because It Hurts, Self-Employed', the largest online community for self-employed people, comments such as "Yoajeong seems hot these days, I wonder if it will become the second tanghulu or establish itself as a delivery ice cream specialty store like Sulbing," "I want to start a business but am curious about Yoajeong’s profitability," and "Dessert trends change quickly, so I’m unsure if I should start a business" have been posted.

Is the Tanghulu Boom Over?... An Average of Two Stores Close Daily

Tanghulu. [Image source=Yonhap News]

While the popularity of yogurt ice cream is rising, the popularity of tanghulu is rapidly fading. According to an analysis of local administrative licensing data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 34 tanghulu stores have closed from the beginning of this month to the 17th, averaging two closures per day. In particular, the top tanghulu franchise, Dalkom Wangga Tanghulu, announced that it opened its 500th store last November, two years after starting its franchise business, but seven months later, the number of stores has actually decreased to 490.

As a result, there are claims that the tanghulu craze ended in less than a year. Similar to how Taiwanese castella and brown sugar bubble tea enjoyed brief popularity before disappearing, tanghulu stores are also following the path of a 'flash-in-the-pan' business.

The rapid decline in tanghulu’s popularity is attributed to health concerns for children and adolescents. Tanghulu is one of the representative foods with high sugar content that should be consumed in moderation. Made mainly of fruit and sugar, tanghulu quickly exceeds the World Health Organization’s recommended daily sugar intake limit of 50g, based on a daily calorie intake of 2000 kcal. For one skewer of tanghulu, the sugar content is ▲24.7g in Black Sapphire tanghulu ▲22.3g in Apple Grape tanghulu ▲21.5g in Pineapple tanghulu. Eating just one or two skewers far exceeds the recommended sugar intake.

Rising fruit prices are also a cause. According to the 'May Consumer Price Trends' released by Statistics Korea, prices of apples and pears soared by 80.4% and 126.3% respectively compared to the same month last year. Tangerines, often used as tanghulu ingredients, also increased by 67.4%.

Consequently, reviews of tanghulu store closures are appearing one after another. On 'Because It Hurts, Self-Employed', posts such as "Tanghulu is at its end," "Tanghulu stores seem to have the shortest period from opening to closure," and "There used to be more than 10 tanghulu delivery stores in my neighborhood, but now only about two remain" continue to be shared.