Dubai chewy cookies (dujjonku) are displayed at the Seomyeon Blood Donation Center in Busan on Jan. 23, ahead of distribution to whole-blood and platelet donors during the seasonal donation lull. The Busan Blood Center held a one-day promotion that offered the cookies to visitors at 13 donation centers across the city. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — As winter cold snaps, flu outbreaks and school holidays pushed blood donations to critically low levels across South Korea, an unlikely solution emerged: a viral dessert.
Blood centers nationwide have begun offering a highly sought-after treat known as the “Dubai chewy cookie” — or dujjonku — as a donation incentive, triggering sharp spikes in participation. In some regions, appointment rates surged to as much as five times their usual levels, according to the Korean Red Cross.
The strategy has delivered a rare win-win. Donors receive a cookie so popular that customers often line up at bakeries before opening hours, while blood banks gain much-needed supplies during what officials call the annual winter “donation drought.”
In North Jeolla Province, where blood reserves had fallen well below recommended levels, centers distributed about 200 cookies donated by a local bakery. Within hours, most were gone — and donor reservations surged. Similar campaigns quickly spread to Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju and surrounding regions.
In Busan, where red blood cell reserves had dropped to just 2.5 days — half the recommended level — the promotion drew roughly 1,200 donors in a single day, triple the weekday average. Nurses there personally visited neighborhood cafés to explain the campaign and secure supplies, ultimately collecting 650 cookies from 13 small businesses.
During the seasonal lull in blood donations, the Busan Blood Center held a one-day promotion on Jan. 23, offering “dujjonku,” or Dubai-style chewy cookies, to whole-blood and platelet donors at 13 donation centers across the city. The photo shows residents waiting to donate blood at the Seomyeon Blood Donation Center in Busan. (Yonhap)
“We were deeply worried about January shortages,” one Red Cross official said. “But the response exceeded expectations.”
The cookie craze, however, has also exposed inflation pressures rippling through South Korea’s booming dessert market.
Inspired by Dubai-style sweets that gained global attention in 2024, dujjonku typically contains pistachio, kataifi pastry and premium chocolate — ingredients whose prices have soared. Pistachio prices have nearly tripled in recent months, while cocoa powder, marshmallows and specialty packaging have also surged, according to bakery owners.
As demand exploded, retail prices climbed sharply. Cookies once sold for around 5,000 won now commonly exceed 7,000 won, with larger versions reaching more than 15,000 won. Some cafés have raised prices multiple times within weeks; others have halted sales entirely, citing supply shortages.
Even luxury hotels have entered the trend. Fairmont Ambassador Seoul now sells limited daily sets priced at 25,000 won, while Lotte Hotel Seoul has introduced Dubai-inspired desserts in its fine-dining menus.
The retail industry has been rolling out a series of pop-up stores featuring the increasingly popular “Dubai chewy cookie,” known as dujjonku. The photo shows a promotional image for a dujjonku pop-up store launched by Lotte Department Store at its Myeongdong branch. (Photo courtesy of Lotte Department Store)
Despite rising prices, enthusiasm remains strong — strong enough that blood banks continue to adopt the cookie as a recruitment tool.
The Korean Red Cross said similar promotions will continue through the winter as hospitals face heightened seasonal demand.
“In a time of shortages,” one official said, “a small cookie is helping save lives.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
