Series: Trending Korean MZ Snacks #1 · #2 Fruit Mochi
Butter tteok (버터떡) is the snack every young Korean seems to be talking about in 2026: a chewy glutinous rice cake made with milk and butter, baked or pan-fried until the outside turns golden and crisp while the inside stays soft and stretchy. It started as a Shanghai street dessert, went viral on Korean social media this spring, and is now sold everywhere from tiny Seoul cafés to every major convenience store chain. Here’s what butter tteok tastes like, what it costs, why Korea’s MZ generation loves it, and three places to try it.
What Is Butter Tteok?
Butter tteok is made from glutinous (sweet) rice flour mixed with milk, butter, sugar and eggs. It is cooked in molds or on a hot pan, so it looks a little like a madeleine or a small pancake. Korean retailers describe it as a Shanghai-born dessert with a “crispy outside, chewy inside” texture (BizWatch, March 2026). Shops in Seoul have turned it into a design object, too—you’ll find butter tteok shaped like chestnuts, flowers, hearts and madeleines.
Many versions contain no wheat flour at all. For example, Iutjip Tongtongi, widely credited as the first shop to introduce butter tteok in Korea, makes it without flour (ELLE Korea and GQ Korea, March 2026).
Korean chapssal-tteok (glutinous rice cakes), the chewy base that butter tteok builds on. Photo: Debbie Tingzon / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Why Korea’s MZ Generation Loves Butter Tteok
- The “two textures in one bite” formula. Social-data firm Sometrend notes that 2026’s hit desserts share one pattern: two contrasting sensations in a single bite. Butter tteok delivers a crisp, buttery crust and a bouncy, mochi-like center. One visitor quoted by ELLE Korea compared it to a crunchy walnut cake on the outside and a moist custard bun on the inside.
- The next craze after Dubai chewy cookies. After the 2025–26 “Dubai chewy cookie” (dujjonku) boom, Korean media and Sometrend singled out butter tteok as the next texture trend.
- A small, affordable treat. At roughly ₩1,500–3,900 per piece, it is an easy mood-booster. A professor quoted by Segye Ilbo (October 2026) links the trend to young people seeking small, inexpensive pleasures when budgets are tight.
- Made for social media. A PMI survey cited by Segye Ilbo found that Koreans in their 20s discover trends mainly through YouTube (64.0%) and social media (58.8%). Cute shapes and the visible “cheese-pull” stretch make butter tteok very shareable.
- Easy to try at home. Convenience store chain CU reports that glutinous rice flour sales rose as people started making butter tteok themselves.
A golden, buttery glutinous rice snack, eaten by hand. Photo: Kyu3a / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
How Popular Is Butter Tteok? The Numbers
- CU was first among convenience chains to launch butter tteok on March 16, 2026, selling it through its app at 10,000 units a day before nationwide store sales began on March 25 (BizWatch).
- GS25 sold out pre-orders of 10,000 units for its butter tteok series in early April 2026 and added a Shanghai-style version with Momoz Lab (Money Today).
- By spring, all four major convenience chains (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and Emart24) had butter tteok products on shelves.
Butter Tteok Price in 2026
| Where | Typical price | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience store (CU Salted Butter Tteok) | ₩2,200 | ~$1.60 |
| Convenience store (CU Shanghai-Style Butter Mochi, 2 pcs) | ₩3,000 | ~$2.10 |
| Other convenience store versions | ₩2,200–3,900 | $1.60–2.80 |
| Dessert café, single piece | ₩1,500–2,500 | $1.10–1.80 |
| Specialty shop box (e.g. 5 pieces) | about ₩8,800 | ~$6.30 |
Exchange rates are approximate (about ₩1,400 per US$1). Café and shop prices vary by shape and topping.
Butter mochi from Japan, a close cousin of the Shanghai-style butter tteok now popular in Korea. Photo: Tobosha / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
3 Places to Try Butter Tteok in Seoul
1. Iutjip Tongtongi (이웃집통통이), Apgujeong Rodeo
- Why go: widely credited as the first shop to sell butter tteok in Korea; chestnut-shaped, made without wheat flour
- Address: 1F, 19 Seolleung-ro 161-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (second branch: 79 World Cup-ro 13-gil, Mangwon, Mapo-gu)
- Subway: Apgujeong Rodeo Station (Suin-Bundang Line), Exit 6, about a 3-minute walk
- Hours: about 10:00–21:30; butter tteok often sells out around noon–1 p.m., and purchases have been limited to 3 sets per person
- Price: a recent customer review lists a 5-piece box at ₩8,800
2. Cafe IOI (카페 이오이), Mapo
- Why go: heart-shaped butter tteok and a rice-cake café menu with matcha, Earl Grey and cream-puff seolgi (steamed rice cake)
- Address: 1F #101, 252 Dongmak-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
- Subway: near Daeheung Station (Line 6)
- Price: ₩1,500 per heart-shaped piece (GQ Korea, March 2026)
- Tip: check the shop’s Instagram or Naver Map for daily hours before visiting.
3. CU and GS25 Convenience Stores (nationwide)
- Why go: the cheapest and easiest way to try butter tteok, open 24 hours across Korea
- What to buy: CU Salted Butter Tteok (₩2,200) and Shanghai-Style Butter Mochi (2 pcs, ₩3,000); GS25’s butter tteok dessert series
- Tip: stock sells out fast. Check the Pocket CU or Uri Dongne GS app to see which nearby store has it.
The stretchy, chewy pull that Korean snack fans call “jjondeuk.” Photo: m-louis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Tips for Eating Butter Tteok
- Eat it warm if you can. The crust is crispest right after baking; reheat convenience-store versions for a few seconds in a microwave or air fryer.
- Go early. Popular cafés make limited batches and often sell out by lunchtime.
- Pair it with milk tea or coffee. The rich butter flavor works well with a lightly sweet drink.
- Chew slowly. Like all glutinous rice cakes, it is very sticky—take small bites, especially with children and older adults.
Love chewy Korean snacks? Next in this series: Korean fruit mochi. Or try a classic: tteokbokki in Seoul.
FAQ: Butter Tteok
What does butter tteok taste like?
Sweet, milky and buttery, with a crisp golden crust and a soft, chewy, mochi-like center.
Is butter tteok the same as Hawaiian butter mochi?
They are related. Both use glutinous rice flour and butter, but Korean butter tteok follows a Shanghai style and is usually made in small, shaped pieces with a crispier crust.
How much does butter tteok cost in Korea?
About ₩2,200–3,900 at convenience stores and ₩1,500–2,500 per piece at cafés in 2026.
Is butter tteok gluten-free?
Many versions use only rice flour, but some include wheat flour or toppings. Ask the shop, as recipes vary.
Sources
- BizWatch – CU launches butter tteok (Mar 2026)
- Wikitree – CU butter tteok prices (Mar 2026)
- Money Today – GS25 butter tteok pre-orders sell out (Apr 2026)
- Sometrend – 2026 dessert texture trends
- ELLE Korea – Butter tteok spots with queues (Mar 2026)
- GQ Korea – Butter tteok shops (Mar 2026)
- Segye Ilbo – MZ rice-cake craze (Oct 2026)
- Lacha – Trending desserts in Korea (Aug 2026)
Featured image: pan-fried glutinous rice cakes — Photo: Fumikas Sagisavas / Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Photos show butter tteok-style and related rice cakes; product designs differ by shop. Prices checked in October 2026 and may change.