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Dubai chewy cookie fever fueling marshmallow, pistachio shortages

Published: 22 Jan. 2026, 13:50

A sign saying that pistachios are out of stock at a supermarket in Seoul on Jan. 21, amid high demand for the ingredient used in making the viral sensation "Dubai chewy cookie." [YONHAP]

With its crunchy, nutty filling wrapped in a chewy marshmallow shell, a viral dessert known as the “Dubai chewy cookie” has gripped Korea’s attention. The craze has sent demand for key ingredients like pistachios and cocoa powder soaring, driving up prices and fueling shortages at retailers and online marketplaces.

At supermarket chain Emart, sales of marshmallows jumped 289.2 percent, while pistachio sales rose 174.9 percent and cocoa powder sales increased 125.7 percent from early December last year, when the craze started, through Monday.

Online marketplaces have seen even sharper jumps. Gmarket said that as of Monday, marshmallow sales had risen about 20-fold from the previous month. Over the same period, sales of kataifi — a shredded pastry used in Middle Eastern desserts that gives the Dubai chocolate cookie its crunchy texture — quadrupled, while pistachio sales increased 1.6 times.

On-year growth was more pronounced. Marshmallow sales were 115 times higher than a year earlier, while kataifi and pistachio sales rose 17 times and 10 times, respectively.

Dubai chewy cookies are given to blood donors at the Korean Red Cross's blood donation center in Yeonsu District, Incheon, on Jan. 20. [YONHAP]

The scramble for supplies has led to shortages and speculative buying in parts of the distribution sector. Some buyers have reportedly paid premiums of more than 100,000 won ($68) to secure 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of pistachios on short notice.

By comparison, the shelf price at Emart is 12,980 won for 400 grams of in-shell roasted pistachios, or about 32,450 won per kilogram. At the supermarket chain, 300 grams of marshmallows sells for 2,980 won while 80 grams of cocoa powder is priced at 3,980 won.

Retailers have also reported cases in which suppliers canceled prearranged transactions to resell ingredients at higher prices elsewhere. Others have bought up supplies only to resell them at marked-up prices on secondhand trading platforms.

The Dubai chewy cookie uses a filling made from kataifi and pistachio cream, both staple ingredients of Dubai chocolate, and coats it in marshmallow mixed with cocoa powder. The dessert is known for its chewy, rice cake-like texture.

Interest in the cookie spread after Jang Won-young of girl group IVE posted photos of it on social media in September last year. The trend gained momentum through word-of-mouth and took off nationwide from December.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]