At a rice cake shop in Seoul’s Insadong neighborhood, asking for ggultteok (sweet rice cakes) draws a puzzled reaction: “Why are young people suddenly looking for ggultteok when it’s not even the holidays?” On Dec. 9, after visiting two other shops, a Chosun Ilbo reporter finally tracked down the signature green, pink, and white rice cakes. Armed with the rice cakes and two packs of milk purchased for 4,000 won, she was ready to try the latest culinary trend making waves both at home and abroad: Ggultteok Cereal.
Surprisingly, this isn’t a traditional Korean recipe rediscovered by locals. It’s a modern twist born overseas that has now made its way back to Korea. Coined as part of a growing “reverse import” trend in food culture, Ggultteok Cereal is one example of how international influencers are reinterpreting Korean ingredients in creative ways.
The recipe is deceptively simple: slice into the ggultteok with scissors to let the honey filling ooze out, place the rice cakes in a bowl, and pour milk over them. That’s it. The result is a delightful combination of chewy rice cakes, sweet honey, and creamy milk—a fusion of textures and flavors that’s oddly satisfying.
The sensation has taken social media by storm, with over 500,000 TikTok posts under hashtags like “Korean Dessert.” Comments such as “It’s like bubble tea but even better!” and “It’s simple, filling, and delicious!” abound. Videos often feature foreigners exclaiming in Korean, “Masisseoyo! (It’s delicious),” as they give the dish a thumbs-up.
This isn’t the first time a uniquely Korean ingredient has gone viral overseas before making its way back home. Consider the spiral-cut cucumber kimchi, another example of a reverse import food trend. Unlike traditional cucumber kimchi, where the vegetable is sliced in halves or quarters, this version uses a spiral cut, inspired by the “tornado potato” sold at street markets. The creative slicing technique makes it easier to mix in the kimchi seasoning while creating a visually striking dish.
A video by a U.S.-based YouTuber showcasing spiral-cut cucumber kimchi has garnered over 21 million views. Korean creators quickly picked up the trend, with their own videos amassing hundreds of millions of views. The feedback? “The texture is amazing,” and “It’s so fun to make and eat.”
Other fusion dishes have similarly captured global attention before becoming popular in Korea. Take the buldak omelet, which combines Korea’s famous spicy chicken ramen (buldak bokkeummyeon) with murtabak, a savory stuffed pancake from Malaysia. Videos of street vendors rolling ramen and fillings into thinly spread dough have attracted millions of views online, encouraging Korean food enthusiasts to replicate the dish at home.
Experts believe these trends reflect a broader cultural phenomenon. Lee Eun-hee, a professor at Inha University, likens the phenomenon to the creative combinations seen in Korea’s convenience stores, where “unexpected pairings often lead to surprisingly delicious results.” Foreign fans of Korean dramas and movies also contribute to these innovations by experimenting with familiar ingredients in ways that feel accessible and approachable.
Reverse-imported recipes are particularly appealing for their novelty and ease of preparation, standing in contrast to more complicated fusion dishes of the past. This approachability has driven their success, allowing them to reach broader audiences both abroad and at home.
The global fascination with Korean cuisine shows no signs of slowing down. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), exports of rice-based processed foods like rice cakes and crackers reached $250 million by October 2024, up more than 40% from the previous year.
From Ggultteok Cereal to spiral-cut cucumber kimchi, these trends highlight how Korean food continues to evolve—adapting to new contexts while staying grounded in tradition. As one food enthusiast summed it up: “They say familiar flavors are comforting, but now I know unfamiliar ones can be too. Thank you.”
