According to 7-Eleven, a convenience store chain, sales of products with traditional desserts increased by 200% this year, doubling sales of all dessert products. 

Yakgwa is a Korean traditional snack,  a type of Yumilgwa. 

Yakgwa is made by covering sesame oil with wheat flour sifted through a fine sieve, with honey and alcohol kneaded in and dipped on a Yakgwa board. Afterwards, a pattern is carved and the dessert is fried. 

Yakgwa was invented in the Goryeo Dynasty, when Buddhism was adopted as the state religion. 

People started to reduce meat consumption under the influence of religion, and fish meat was forbidden to be served during ancestral rites. 

In these conditions, various snacks were developed. 

Yakgwa was one of the most popular snacks in both the Yuan Dynasty and in Goryeo culture, which is called Goryeo Yang.

Since flour, grain syrup, and oil are very cheap and easy to obtain, the cost of making Yakgwa is very low. 

In addition, as sugar, which can replace honey, reduced in price , Yakgwa became a traditional snack that can be eaten often. 

In 2023, Yakgwa became a  popular snack as traditional foods were reinterpreted to suit modern taste buds.

Yakgwa has been reinterpreted into cakes, breads, shaved ice, waffles, and donuts.  

New desserts are leading the trend of “Halmaniel”, which is a combination of “grandmother” and “millennial”,  meaning a young generation who likes traditional desserts.

Due to this new dessert trend, many businesses started to sell new desserts with traditional food. 

For example, 7-Eleven sold seven Yakgwa-based  desserts. One of the desserts is the ‘Yakgwa Butter Bar’, which is a combination of Yakgwa and butter bars that can be easily consumed in stick form. 

In addition, ‘Yakgwa Financier’ is another popular dessert that consists of Yakgwa topped with cinnamon powder. 

A 7-Eleven official said they have more plans to continue launching various desserts using Yakgwa as the dessert is loved by all generations.

Furthermore, as Yakgwa gained sensational popularity, the industry began to identify consumer demand and released related products. CU, another convenient store, launched three Yakgwa related products in a row in April and May as new products, including Yakgwa-ice cream, tart, and cookies. 

Large retailers are also responding to the trend by launching new products. 

Many customers expressed affection for Yakgwa since it is fun to buy and taste Yakgwa from various places, especially as the shape and features differ between regions and stores. 

Some customers also wait before opening hours or pre-order popular Yakgwa products on online stores. 

In addition, a new word ‘Yakgeting’ came out. It is a compound word of Yakgwa and ticketing. 

It is meant to signify that obtaining Yakgwa at a popular confectionery store is as hard as buying a ticket for a popular singer. 

These events all show  the popularity of Yakgwa all over Korea. 

Hakyung Song 
Grade 11 
Branksome Hall Asia