Cookies, Sandwiches, Financiers... Everything Turned Out to Be “Yakgwa”
The popular dessert shop “We Bake Love” in Yongsan gained significant attention on White Day for their best-selling item, the “Vanilla Yakgwa Cookie.” This treat features a cookie topped with white chocolate and vanilla cream ganache, adorned with a layer of yakgwa on top. Yakgwa, which exploded in popularity among the 2030 generation last year and even coined the neologism “yakketing (yakgwa + ticketing),” has emerged as a dessert star this year. Western-style desserts that incorporate yakgwa have been popping up one after another, as the younger generation’s keen interest has led them to queue up and eagerly indulge in these unique confections. As the younger generation shows interest in yakgwa to the point of waiting in line to eat it, Western-style desserts with yakgwa accents have been popping up one after another.
Yakgwa is placed on top of cookies or baked together with cookie dough, both of which are basic forms of combining these two. Similarly, It is used on French-style almond butter cakes called “financiers” by adding mini-sized yakgwas before baking. Yakgwa sandwich desserts with cream between layers of yakgwa have also recently made its appearance. There are many desserts that utilize an entire yakgwa to show off its presence. In January and February, the well-known bakery “Cafe Noted” even had a limited-time offer of “Yakgwa Scones” where whole pieces of yakgwa were placed on top of scones. Kim So-yeon, a 35-year-old office worker, said, “I eat two yakgwa cookies a week,” adding, “The contrast between the chewy yakgwa and the moist cookie is interesting, and it’s attractive because it feels less heavy than eating only yakgwa.”
Yakgwa is characterized by its distinct sweetness. It is made by preparing dough with flour and honey, frying it in oil, and then soaking it in honey or jocheong (malt syrup). Since flour is used and fried, it naturally carries a rich flavor. Food critic Lee Yong-jae commented, “By changing the syrup during the marinating stage, you can change the flavor and aroma, enabling the transformation of yakgwa into a modern dish. With yakgwa gaining the spotlight among the younger generation, the dessert industry is actively incorporating it.”
