Limited Release of 'Dubai Jjondeuk Roll' at Six Seoul Stores
Two Dubai Chocolate Beverages Set to Launch Next Month
Craze Spreads Across Franchise Brands
The "Dubai Jjondeuk Cookie (Dujjonku)" craze, which has recently sparked open runs and shortages nationwide, shows no signs of slowing down. Starbucks Korea is joining the trend by launching a new related product. With Starbucks entering the market, industry observers note that the Dujjonku craze is moving beyond a temporary fad and is spreading across the entire sector.
Dujjonku is a dessert made with crispy Middle Eastern-style noodles called kadaif and pistachio paste as filling, all wrapped in a cocoa-dusted marshmallow. Its crispy and chewy texture has made it explosively popular recently.
Starbucks Launches Limited Edition 'Dubai Chewy Roll'
According to industry sources on January 28, Starbucks Korea will release the "Dubai Chewy Roll" in limited quantities at six stores in Seoul starting January 30. The product features kadaif and pistachio paste rolled in marshmallow, reinterpreting Dujjonku in the Starbucks style.
Customers can purchase up to two pieces per person, and only by ordering directly from store partners. It will not be available through external channels such as Siren Order, drive-thru zones, or delivery services. Each roll is priced at 7,200 won.
Starbucks is not stopping there. Next month, it plans to introduce two Dubai chocolate-themed beverages in Korea: "Iced Dubai Chocolate Matcha" and "Iced Dubai Chocolate Mocha." These products have already been launched in the North American market.
Industry Players Join the Dujjonku Craze
Other franchise chains are also joining the Dujjonku trend. Ediya Coffee is exclusively selling a "Dujjonku Set" (Dujjonku with a beverage) through the delivery app Coupang Eats. Gongcha has launched the "Dubai Chewy Chocolate Crush" and "Dubai Stick Cake." The yogurt ice cream franchise Yoajeong has also introduced its own Dujjonku product.
Riding the wave of Dujjonku's popularity, more products inspired by the Dubai style are being released. Baskin Robbins is offering "Dubai Style Choco Cookie," "Dubai Style Choco Latte," and "Dubai Style Choco Mochi," while Paris Baguette has launched the "Dujjon Tart," a tart version of Dujjonku.
'Dujjonku Inflation' Becomes Reality... Soaring Ingredient Costs Increase Burden on Small Business Owners
Meanwhile, as Dujjonku's popularity persists, the prices of key dessert ingredients such as pistachios, cocoa, and marshmallows are rising sharply, intensifying cost pressures across the industry. As of January last year, the import price of pistachios was about 15 million won per ton. By January this year, it had soared to 28 million won per ton, an increase of about 84%. The price of cocoa, used in cookie dough and toppings, is also rising rapidly. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (KATI), the import price of unsweetened cocoa powder jumped about 55%, from $6.71 per kilogram in January last year to $10.42 per kilogram in December of the same year.
This increase in costs is directly impacting small business owners. One bakery cafe owner shared in an online community that "until the end of last year, the price of Valrhona cocoa was in the upper 30,000 won range, but recently it has risen to 60,000 won," adding, "Some products are completely out of stock and cannot be purchased at all." Another business owner reported, "The price of marshmallows, which used to be around 20,000 won per kilogram, has recently soared to over 50,000 won."
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