Dubai chocolate cookie trend declines as ingredient imports drop 90%

The popularity of ‘Dujonku’ (Dubai chocolate chewy cookies) has declined sharply within six months, according to data analyzed by National Assembly member Jung Il-young. Analysis of data from the Korea Customs Service, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the Intellectual Property Office shows that imports of pistachio, a key ingredient, plummeted by 92.6% from 731 tons in February to 54 tons in July.

Import values for pistachios also dropped by 93.6% during the same period. Similarly, import inspections for processed foods containing ‘Kadayif’ (kunafa) decreased by 93.5%, falling from 340 cases in February to 22 in June. Trademark applications containing keywords such as ‘Dubai’, ‘Kadayif’, and ‘Pistachio’ also saw a massive decline, dropping 95.7% from a peak of 23 applications in January to just one application per month between April and June.

Representative Jung noted that while new trends can energize the market, the rapid shift in consumer behavior highlights the risks for small business owners and entrepreneurs who might make excessive investments or secure large quantities of raw materials based on short-lived social media trends.