What's the fastest way to read the latest trends in Korea these days? Instagram Reels? YouTube Shorts? TikTok? Or new convenience store products? In fact, trends exist not only on various platforms but also in our daily lives. However, these trends certainly seem different from before. Current trends in Korea have become shorter, spreading more intensely and rapidly over a brief period.
Representative examples that clearly show this trend are Ddujjonku (Dubai Chewy Cookie) and Bomdong Bibimbap. Ddujjonku attracts people's attention with its rich and stimulating taste, unique texture, and (at one time) its scarcity, making it hard to find. Bomdong Bibimbap is loved for the freshness of seasonal vegetables, its healthy image, and its simplicity, making it easy to prepare at home. By now, Bomdong Bibimbap might be fading, and another trend might be emerging! Although they seem like completely different trends on the surface, what is the recurring structure of Korean trends?
Let's take a look at how recent temporary trends in Korea are being created and what direction they are likely to take in the future.
Ddujjonku: A 'Dessert to Eat'? Or a 'Dessert to Photograph and Share'?
The reason Ddujjonku became a hot topic probably wasn't just because of its taste. Of course, its sweet and rich flavor, chewy texture, and the combination of various fillings (pistachio, kadaif, marshmallow) certainly left a strong impression. But more importantly, Ddujjonku was a food optimized for short-form video content.
The visual of this round brown dessert, seen for the first time on Shorts and Reels, and the surprising fillings revealed when cut in half, were enough to capture people's attention. What on earth does it taste like? Is it worth lining up for? Such curiosities immediately led people to search for Ddujjonku on YouTube and Instagram. All these elements have the characteristic of creating explosive power on SNS. People watch videos before tasting, and after watching, they want to try it themselves. And a verification shot before eating is a must! Ddujjonku is a dessert and, at the same time, a piece of content.
In Korea, this type of trend is now very familiar. It seems that trends are increasingly emerging not because a restaurant or menu item becomes known first and then content is created, but rather because the item itself has strong characteristics as content. The shared experience of 'I tried it too,' 'I ate it too,' 'I filmed this scene too' has become more important than the eating experience itself.
Bomdong Bibimbap: Now, 'Health' Rather Than 'Glamour'!
What's interesting, however, is that after a strong dessert trend like Ddujjonku passed, people's interest shifted to Bomdong Bibimbap. Bomdong Bibimbap is not as exotic or glamorous as Ddujjonku. The ingredient 'bomdong' (spring cabbage) has been a consistently available food for a long time. It's neither a luxury dish nor something new. Rather, its ingredients are simple, and its cooking method is familiar.
Nevertheless, the reasons why Bomdong Bibimbap gained attention seem clear. First, its seasonality. Just hearing the name 'bomdong' evokes a sense of the season. People tend to look for foods that best embody the changing seasons. Bomdong Bibimbap gives the feeling of 'something hard to eat if not now.'
Next is its healthy and light image. A key keyword in recent food trends is not just 'delicious' but 'not burdensome.' Foods that are not too hard to find and not too expensive will likely gain attention more easily. Bomdong Bibimbap seems fresher and healthier than Ddujjonku. Could it be trending to counteract the richness of Ddujjonku?
Bomdong Bibimbap definitely has a low barrier to participation. For Ddujjonku, you had to wait in line to buy it, and sometimes it was hard to find. But Bomdong Bibimbap is different. If you have the ingredients, you can easily make it at home, and anyone can adapt it in their own way. Adjusting the amount of gochujang, adding more sesame oil, or topping it with a fried egg – you can easily create your own Bomdong Bibimbap. Will such food survive longer on SNS?
Why Do These 'Short and Strong Trends' Keep Repeating?
There are several clear reasons why temporary trends in Korea are accelerating. First and foremost, it's an algorithm-driven consumption structure. Current trends are likely not the result of someone's long-term planning. Often, a single piece of content is accidentally repeatedly exposed and spread on a platform within a short period. Korean trends are no longer a slowly spreading culture but a phenomenon amplified by platform algorithms.
Secondly, the economic atmosphere and consumer psychology. The more uncertain the economy, the more people seek small but certain pleasures, while also considering cost-effectiveness and practicality for realistic reasons. Isn't it true that strong and glamorous desserts like Ddujjonku gain attention, while simple but fresh and reasonable foods like Bomdong Bibimbap also become popular? Trends are not just a matter of taste; they are also a signal of what people want and what kind of fatigue they are experiencing.
Third is the speed of distribution and commercialization. In the past, it took a long time for a food item that became a hot topic on SNS to actually be released as a product. But that's no longer the case. When a reaction emerges online, convenience stores, food brands, and restaurant businesses quickly adapt to the trend almost in real-time. The faster this process, the shorter the trend. The faster and larger the production and consumption process of content or items, the faster the content will change. Even a steady seller could be born amidst a trend.
Source - Starbucks
The Core of Recent Korean Trends: 'Story' Rather Than 'Novelty'
Many people think that Korean trends always start with something completely new. But that's not actually the case. Rather, it's often existing foods, familiar ingredients, or scenes from old broadcasts that find new opportunities and come back to life. A snack released long ago might not have seen the light of day, only to suddenly gain explosive popularity due to some coincidence.
Bomdong Bibimbap can also be seen as such a case. The food itself isn't entirely new, but within the current trend environment, it can be consumed in a completely different way. What was once simply considered a seasonal dish is now being reinterpreted as a 'seasonal recipe with a modern sensibility' and 'healthy short-form content.'
A trending food doesn't necessarily have to be just delicious. If it can be explained in a short video and gives an immediate impression upon viewing, there seems to be a clear reason to follow it or buy it. The moment these conditions are met, even ordinary food can instantly become a trend.
Future Trends: Shorter, More Local, and Easier to Follow
In the future, temporary trends in Korea are likely to become more pronounced in several directions. The lifecycle of trends may become even shorter. While the speed at which trends are created has accelerated, the speed at which people tire of them has also increased proportionally. It seems increasingly difficult for a single food item to dominate a trend for several months. By the time one item reaches its peak, the seeds of the next trend will likely already be spreading.
Locality and seasonality will also become more important. Whereas exotic sentiments, visuals, and unfamiliar ingredients from abroad once garnered attention, it now seems that Korea's seasonal ingredients and familiar foods are being consumed anew. Things that are close to us but haven't been experienced, rather than distant foreign ones, seem sufficient to attract attention. It appears that curiosity about the exotic and familiarity with our own will repeat within trends.
Trends that anyone can follow also seem likely to strengthen. Foods that consumers can try making themselves, rather than just visually appealing ones, will survive longer. Simple combinations over complex cooking, accessible ingredients over expensive ones, and reproducibility in everyday life rather than requiring expert skills will leave a lasting impression on our lives beyond mere temporary trends.
But Trends Change Too Fast!
These rapid food trends are not simply interesting for everyone. While following trends can be fun, it also inevitably leads to fatigue. For those for whom trends represent an opportunity, consumers' unexpected consumption trends can become a troublesome concern.
The moment everyone starts churning out similar products, uniqueness quickly disappears, and consumers will move on in search of something new.
Conclusion
Ddujjonku and Bomdong Bibimbap seem like completely different foods. However, both commonly illustrate the essence of current Korean trends. Trends have become shorter and are commercialized more rapidly. At the same time, people are more sensitively choosing things that fit their current mood and lifestyle, rather than just something new.
Looking at this trend, it seems highly probable that future temporary trends in Korea will not only move towards more stimulating directions but also evolve in ways that are more closely integrated with our daily lives and richer in storytelling.
Through trending foods, we can understand what people are seeing and following right now. Furthermore, we can also discern what they are tired of and what brings them comfort. Food is, in essence, a small cultural signal. Are you enjoying these cultural trends?