Actress Han Ga-in is going viral for her brutally honest reactions after trying Dubai-inspired desserts that have become a hit among Gen Z and young millennials.
On January 29, a Lunar New Year gift guide video was posted on Han Ga-in’s YouTube channel. While showcasing various items, she taste-tested a so-called “Dubai chapssaltteok” (sticky rice cake) and the Dubai chewy cookie, also known as “Dujjonku,” prepared by the production team.
Confronted with the trendy desserts, Han remarked, “Why is everything Dubai these days? I’ve never even been to Dubai,” looking visibly puzzled. She also mentioned reading an article that reported Chef Ahn Sung-jae faced backlash after creating his own version of the “Dujjonku,” showing both curiosity and fatigue toward the craze.
Her tasting reactions were dramatic. Not typically a sweets person, Han took a bite of the chapssaltteok stuffed with fresh strawberries and widened her eyes: “This is so strange. It’s so sweet it snaps me awake.” Her review of the “Dujjonku” was even more candid. As staff cheered when the cookie was split open, Han shook her head and said, “It feels like I’m chewing sand. Once you get past the grit, it suddenly smells like hotteok”—the traditional brown sugar–filled Korean pancake.
Even so, she laughed and added, “I think the ‘Dujjonku’ is better than the Dubai chapssaltteok.”