A Dubai chocolate-inspired dessert called the Dubai chewy cookie has become a sensation in South Korea. This sweet treat looks more like a rice cake and is filled with pistachio cream and knafeh pastry shreds inside a chocolate marshmallow shell. It started trending last September when Jang Won-young from the girl band Ive posted a photo of it on Instagram. Since then, demand has exploded. The cookies sell out within minutes, and prices have jumped from 5,000 to 10,000 won (about $3). Even sushi bars and cold-noodle shops are adding the cookie to their menus. Local chain convenience store CU launched its version in October and sold 1.8 million pieces in months. A CU representative told Yonhap News, "Our manufacturing plant's production capacity cannot keep up with demand." Because of the craze, pistachio prices have risen by 20% in some supermarkets. South Koreans are so obsessed that someone made a real-time map showing shops selling the cookie and their stock levels. Due to high demand, some stores limit how many cookies one customer can buy. However, fakes have appeared too, upsetting buyers. One disappointed customer wrote, "I bought two for 11,000 Korean won, but there's no knafeh, and the exterior isn't marshmallow. It's heartbreaking," as quoted by The Chosun Daily. Food critics say the thick and dense texture suits Korean tastes. Critic Lee Yong-jae explained, "It reflects Korean food culture, where visual overwhelmingness matters more than balance or harmony of ingredients and flavours." The Dubai chewy cookie has definitely made a sweet mark in South Korea.