[K-Food Trend] The Viral "Dubai Chewy Cookie" (Du-Jjon-Ku): Hype, Taste, and the "Noodle Scandal"

Hi everyone, it’s Amie, your local friend in Korea! 👋 

 

If you’ve been looking at Korean social media lately, you might have seen a new dessert taking over feeds. It's green inside, incredibly thick, and has everyone talking.

 

It's called the "Dubai Chewy Cookie", or "Du-Jjon-Ku" (두쫀쿠) for short.

 

This isn't just a cookie; it's a cultural phenomenon here in Korea right now. It’s an evolution of the 2024 "Dubai Chocolate" craze, adapted specifically for Korean tastes. Today, I’m diving deep into what it is, why it’s so controversial, and my honest review after trying it myself!

What is a "Du-Jjon-Ku"?

The Dubai Chewy Cookie is essentially a remix of the famous Dubai Chocolate.

• The Core: It takes the signature filling of Dubai Chocolate—creamy pistachio spread mixed with crispy, toasted Kadaifi (middle eastern pastry noodles).
• The Korean Twist: Instead of just chocolate, this filling is wrapped in a incredibly chewy marshmallow-based dough (sometimes mixed with cookie dough).
• The Finish: It's often rolled in cocoa powder to prevent stickiness and add a bitter balance to the sweetness.

It's a massive, heavy, calorie-dense treat that combines multiple textures in one bite.

Why Is Korea Obsessed with It?

There are three main reasons why this specific dessert blew up:

 

1. The "Geot-Ba-Sok-Jjon" Texture (겉바속쫀) Koreans love texture terms. This one means "Crispy outside, chewy inside." The contrast between the crunchy Kadaifi filling and the super-chewy marshmallow layer is incredibly addictive, especially for the MZ generation.

 

2. The Evolution of a Trend When the original Dubai Chocolate trend hit, it was constantly sold out. Cafes started creating their own interpretations as alternatives. The cookie version became the new, trendy replacement.

 

3. Instagrammable Visuals 📸 It looks amazing on camera. The cookies are huge and chunky. When you crack one open, the bright green pistachio filling oozing out makes for the perfect SNS "proof shot."

This image was generated with AI to help visualize the scene.

⚠️ The Controversies: "Noodle Fraud" and Price Bubbles

However, the Du-Jjon-Ku trend isn't without drama. There are some interesting facts you should know before buying one.

 

The Great "Somyeon Noodle" Scandal 🍜 This is the biggest issue. Authentic Kadaifi pastry is expensive and hard to supply in Korea due to the sudden demand. Some unethical shops started using cheap, regular flour noodles (Somyeon), frying them to look like Kadaifi, and selling them at premium prices without telling customers. Checking if a cafe uses real Kadaifi has become a mandatory step for foodies here!

 

The Price Bubble & "Bait" Products 💸 These cookies are expensive! They usually range from 9,500 KRW to 12,000 KRW ($7~$9 USD) for a single cookie. Many criticize that "one cookie costs more than a meal." Furthermore, random places like sashimi restaurants or Jokbal (pigs' feet) shops on delivery apps started selling these cookies just to appear in search results, causing confusion.

 

The Calorie Bomb 💣 Be warned: One cookie packs about 400~600 kcal. It's extremely high in sugar and saturated fat. It's definitely a "sometimes" treat!

💡 Fun Fact: The Chef Incident Even famous Chef Ahn Sung-jae (a judge on Netflix's Culinary Class Wars / 흑백요리사) tried making one without fully understanding the trend and received backlash online! He later redeemed himself by making a proper version.

souced by: @Chef_SungAnh youtube channel

A Fun Fact & DIY Recipe: It’s Not Actually from Dubai!

Here is the funniest (and most fascinating) part about this entire trend: You cannot actually buy these "Dubai Chewy Cookies" in Dubai!

Please note that this is a staged photo created using AI.

 

It is a 100% uniquely Korean creation. It’s amazing to see how Korea took a global trend (Dubai Chocolate) and remixed it with the local love for super-chewy textures to create something entirely new. It’s huge here in Seoul, but it might be hard to find elsewhere right now.

 

So, for those of you who are curious about this crazy K-dessert combination and want to try making it at home, I’m sharing the recipe below. It's a bit of work, but the result is unlike anything else!

👩‍🍳 Recipe: How to Make Du-Jjon-Ku at Home

Step 1: Making the Pistachio Kadaifi Filling 💚

• Fry: Prepare Kadaifi pastry that has been stir-fried in butter until golden brown and crispy.
• Mix: Add melted white chocolate and pistachio spread to the fried Kadaifi and mix thoroughly. (Amie’s Tip: The white chocolate adds depth of flavor and helps hold the filling together once cooled.)
• Portion & Freeze: Scoop out appropriate amounts using a spoon or ice cream scoop. Place them in the freezer briefly to harden so they hold their shape.

Step 2: Making the Chewy Marshmallow Base Dough ☁️

• Melt: Slowly melt butter in a pan over low heat, then add marshmallows and melt them together completely.
• Combine: Just before the marshmallows completely lose their shape, sift in skim milk powder and cocoa powder.
• Make Dough: Turn off the heat and stir rapidly until no dry powder remains. You will get a sticky, pliable dough texture. Let this dough cool down slightly before handling.

Step 3: Assembly & Shaping 👐

• Shape Filling: Take the hardened pistachio filling balls out of the freezer and smooth them into perfect rounds.
• First Wrap (Marshmallow): Take a portion of the cooled marshmallow dough, place a pistachio filling ball in the center, and wrap it tightly into a round shape.
• Second Wrap (Cookie Dough): Take your separate, prepared basic cookie dough and wrap the entire ball once more smoothly. Ensure none of the inner filling is visible and shape it into a large, perfect round ball.

Step 4: Finishing Touches 🍫

• Cocoa Coating: Roll the finished round Du-Jjon-Ku generously in cocoa powder.
• Tip: This coating prevents the outside from being sticky, making it cleaner to eat. The bittersweet cocoa aroma also creates a fantastic harmony with the nutty pistachio flavor inside!

AI-generated image for illustrative purposes.

😋 Amie’s Honest Review: Is it worth it?

I initially thought about making this at home to share detailed steps and recipe with you all.

 

So I looked at the process: Frying Kadaifi, mixing pistachio white ganache, freezing the filling, melting marshmallows and butter over low heat, sifting milk powder and cocoa, wrapping multiple layers, shaping, coating...

 

Honest thought: "Too many steps, too many hard-to-find ingredients. I'm buying it." 😂

 

I visited a local cafe known for using real Kadaifi and tried one.

 

The Verdict: It was incredibly sweet (though it might depend on the cafe's recipe), super chewy thanks to the marshmallow layer, and the inside was delightfully nutty, crispy, and savory from the pistachio Kadaifi. It’s definitely a unique taste and texture experience you can't find elsewhere.

 

If you are traveling in Korea in 2026, give it a try—just maybe share one with a friend because it's intense!

 

Would you try the Dubai Chewy Cookie despite the high price? Let me know in the comments!