Butter Tteok: Korea’s New Viral ‘Dessert Coin’ From Shanghai and Beyond
Creatrip Team
a month ago
A new dessert trend called “butter tteok” (버터떡) — a chewy, buttery rice cake inspired by Shanghai’s version of butter mochi — has swept parts of Korea since March. Originating from a 19th-century fusion of Japanese mochi, Filipino bibingka, and Western baking in Hawaii, the recipe moved to China and became widely popular in 2022 for its ‘crispy outside, chewy inside’ texture. In Korea, bakeries, cafes and convenience stores have limited daily supplies, sparked open-run lines, and launched flavored variants (matcha, chocolate, injeolmi). Reactions are mixed: fans praise its layered butter-sugar flavors and easy digestion from rice flour, while critics find it ordinary or inconsistent across shops. Retailers debate whether to join the trend as its peak may have passed, and experts warn that reliance on butter conflicts with health-focused trends and inconsistent quality could hinder long-term staying power. (tteok: traditional Korean rice cake)
