Honey Butter Chip, tanghulu, dujjonku: Rise and fall of Korea’s viral food trends

From convenience store snack aisles to TikTok feeds, Korea’s food scene has repeatedly shown how quickly tastes can rise — and fall. Over the past decade, a stream of viral snacks and desserts has captured public attention, fueled by social media buzz, scarcity marketing and a growing appetite for novelty.

Some items vanished almost as quickly as they appeared, while others settled into everyday menus. Looking back at both the blink-and-you-miss-it crazes and the ones that stuck offers a snapshot of how consumer psychology, online virality and health concerns intersect in Korea’s fast-moving food culture.

Honey Butter Chip

The 150-gram bag of potato chips glazed with honey and butter was catapulted to stardom shortly after its launch in 2014. Within three months, it reportedly became the bestselling product at all three major convenience store chains. Combining salty and sweet flavors, the chips proved irresistibly addictive.

Scarcity played a key role in its rise. Production shortages — which some speculated were a marketing tactic — only fueled demand. By early 2016, manufacturer Haitai stabilized supply and Honey Butter Chip transitioned from a must-have item to a steady snack option.

Soon after, new varieties followed, including nearly 10 different limited-edition flavors.

Taiwanese castella

A type of sponge cake originating from Taiwan, Taiwanese castella arrived in Korea in early 2016. Originating in Portugal and popularized in Japan, the cake was reinvented in Taiwan, where it developed a more pronounced egg flavor and a soft, moist texture that stayed fresh for hours.

Its popularity in Korea peaked in March 2017, before a sharp decline triggered by a TV documentary questioning the use of cooking oil in the baking process. An avian influenza outbreak that drove up egg prices further accelerated its fall.

While most Taiwanese castella shops quickly disappeared, a handful survived. Castella Bakery Lab in Seoul’s Mapo District remains one of the few still in operation.

Ttungcaron

Though modern macarons are synonymous with France, their origins go back to Italy. The name comes from “maccheroni,” meaning kneaded dough. Characterized by crisp shells and a soft, chewy interior, macarons are typically filled with cream or ganache.

In Korea, macarons took on a new identity. Once rare and expensive, they surged in popularity after a 2012 controversy involving shop owners using aggressive marketing. By 2018, Twitter users were sharing crowd-sourced “macaron maps” nationwide.

Korean macarons became known for their oversized appearance, earning the nickname “ttungcaron,” from the Korean word “ttung,” meaning fat. These ttungcarons are much thicker thanks to a generous layer of filling and fruit or other treats like cookies are sometimes added for extra flavor and texture.

The craze peaked in the summer of 2020, after which macarons became a common dessert item here.

Brown sugar bubble tea

Brown sugar bubble tea — milk tea sweetened with melted brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls — first appeared in Korea in 2018. By late 2019, it had spread rapidly through franchise cafes including Taiwanese brands.

Fans praised its subtle bitterness, which balanced the sweetness more effectively than white sugar. However, concerns over high calorie and sugar content began circulating by mid-2019. While no longer at its peak, brown sugar bubble tea remains available at chains such as Tiger Sugar, Heuk Hwa Dang, Gong Cha and Mega Coffee.

Salt bread

“It’s like the marriage of a croissant, a soft dinner roll and a baguette,” one food writer once said when describing salt bread, or salted butter rolls. Originating in Japan, the bread is known for “its ratio of butter to flour and its signature fried bottom.”

Salt bread gained viral popularity in Korea around July 2021. Though no single bakery is credited with its debut, shops such as Jayeondo Salt Bread played a major role in popularizing it.

By mid-2023, the frenzy had faded, but salt bread has secured a permanent place in bakeries across Korea, from major chains to small local shops.

Tanghulu

Tanghulu, a traditional Chinese snack made of sugar-coated fruit skewers, has been sold in Incheon’s Chinatown since the early 2000s. In 2023, it experienced a dramatic resurgence after going viral on TikTok and YouTube.

The trend led to a rapid increase in tanghulu specialty shops, largely catering to consumers in their teens and 20s. Health experts soon raised concerns about excessive sugar intake. By May 2024, the craze began to wane, accompanied by a growing number of shop closures.

Yogurt ice cream

Another name for frozen yogurt, yogurt ice cream went viral in Korea around March 2024, driven largely by the rise of the franchise specialty shop Yoajung. The brand gained popularity among health-conscious millennials, who enjoy customizing their desserts with various toppings.

As the market became saturated, interest began to decline in recent months, perhaps signaling the end of its peak.

Dubai chocolate

Dubai-based FIX Dessert Chocolatier’s kadayif and pistachio chocolate — better known as Dubai Chocolate thanks to its viral fame — quickly became a global social media sensation and sparked another imported snack craze in Korea.

In April 2024, locally produced versions went on sale in Korea, flooding social media with photos shared by sellers and consumers. The buzz proved short-lived. By November of the same year, the trend had largely faded as consumer attention shifted elsewhere.

Dujjonku

Even as the popularity of Dubai chocolate receded in Korea, the product was reinvented — the outer chocolate shell replaced with chocolate marshmallow.

Short for Dubai chewy cookie, dujjonku is a dessert filled with pistachio cream and kadayif. Its marshmallow base creates a chewy exterior, while the filling adds crunch, leading some to compare it to “chapssaltteok,” glutinous rice cake.

The trend began around September last year. Its future remains uncertain, making it the latest test case for Korea’s continuous food trend cycle.