Lifestyle Trend: Dubai cookies go viral in Korea after celebrity buzz You Should Know

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A viral dessert trend known as “Dubai chewy cookies,” or “Dujjonku,” has swept across younger generations in Korea, triggering widespread sellouts and long queues at popular bakeries. The craze intensified after celebrities including Jang Won-young and Kim Se-jeong featured the cookies on their social media, leading to a surge in delivery app searches.

Due to their rich, buttery flavor and dense texture that immediately suggest high calorie content, questions have emerged about how these cookies affect blood sugar levels. A Kormedi.com health team conducted a test to find out.

The cookies are typically made with pistachio spread, white chocolate, butter-fried kadaif pastry, marshmallows and cocoa powder. Although small in size at about 40 to 60 grams each, they are composed largely of high-fat, high-calorie ingredients. Based on nutrition estimates gathered from social media and diet platforms, a 50-gram cookie contains about 28 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of sugars, 4 grams of protein and 13 grams of fat, totaling roughly 245 calories.

To examine their effect on blood sugar, three adults with different body mass index levels measured their glucose levels before eating the cookies and again at 30 minutes and one hour afterward. One participant recorded an increase of about 40 milligrams per deciliter, while the other two saw only modest rises of 13 milligrams per deciliter and 6 milligrams per deciliter.

Compared with the typical 50 to 60 milligram per deciliter rise seen after eating two slices of bread or a bowl of rice, the cookies appeared to have a relatively small impact on blood sugar.

One key reason, experts say, is the dessert’s unusually high fat content. The large amount of pistachio, butter and cocoa butter slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine. This delay also slows carbohydrate absorption, helping prevent sharp spikes in blood sugar. The proportion of pure sugars in the overall calorie mix is also lower than that of many other desserts.

However, the relatively mild blood sugar response does not mean the dessert is suitable for dieting or for people with diabetes. Each cookie’s calorie load rivals or exceeds that of a bowl of rice, and frequent consumption can easily tip daily intake above recommended levels. Dietitians say it is best enjoyed only occasionally and in small amounts.

For people with diabetes, the risks are even greater. Even without sharp sugar spikes, the accumulated calories and fat can burden long-term glucose management, and the small size of the cookies makes it easy to overeat. Doctors say those managing blood sugar should avoid the dessert when possible or monitor glucose carefully if they choose to eat it.

The shortage and high price of the cookies are largely tied to unstable supplies of key imported ingredients such as kadaif pastry and pistachio spread. As global demand has risen alongside the international popularity of Dubai-style sweets, bakeries have limited daily production, leading to the dessert being sold out in many places. Industry officials say supplies may begin to stabilize in the coming months.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.