CU to launch “pizza jeolpyeon” rice-cake dessert on Oct. 8
Version 2: A third outlet, the tech site ZDNet Korea, has now covered the launch, adding microwave heating instructions and details on queues at rice cake shops, without changing the core facts of the Oct. 8 launch.
In short
Convenience store chain CU said it will launch “pizza jeolpyeon,” a dessert that tops sliced rice cake with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, corn and olives, on Oct. 8. CU said it planned the item after the social media popularity of “pizza seolgi,” which uses white rice cake as a pizza base. Asia Economy reported the product is priced at 3,800 won, can be heated in a microwave for about 20 seconds, and will be a regular-sale item — which it described as a first for the convenience store industry.
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CU, the convenience store chain operated by BGF Retail, said on Oct. 6 that it will launch a dessert called “pizza jeolpyeon” on Oct. 8. The product spreads tomato sauce on sliced rice cake, or jeolpyeon, in place of wheat dough and adds mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, corn and olives, according to Yonhap. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The company said it planned the item after noting the social media popularity of “pizza seolgi,” a dish that uses white rice cake as a pizza base and has a chewy texture because it avoids flour dough. ZDNet Korea and Asia Economy reported that the new product can be heated in a microwave for about 20 seconds, and both said it will be sold as a regular-sale item. Asia Economy described it as the convenience store industry’s first such regular-sale product. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Asia Economy reported the product is priced at 3,800 won and, citing the big data platform SomeTrend, said social media mentions of pizza seolgi grew from fewer than 100 in April to about 2,000 in August and more than 10,000 in September. ZDNet Korea and Asia Economy reported that some rice cake shops selling pizza seolgi have seen queues, described in the Korean coverage as an “open run” and a “rice cake pilgrimage.” [ 2 , 3 ]
Asia Economy reported that CU pointed to a similar earlier launch: “Dubai chewy rice cake,” released after the Dubai chocolate cookie trend, sold about 1.1 million units in last year’s fourth quarter and about 2.8 million cumulatively. [ 3 ]
A BGF Retail official said the company will “examine food trends spreading quickly through social media and add CU’s own ideas to give customers new tastes and fun,” according to Yonhap. Asia Economy and ZDNet Korea quoted a BGF Retail snack team merchandiser, identified as Kwon Yoo-jin, as saying consumers increasingly seek new combinations of familiar foods, and that CU will continue watching trends spreading on social media. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The launch shows how quickly Korean food trends that spread on social media are picked up by major convenience store chains, which can scale them nationally. CU has previously turned a similar social media trend into a mainstream product, suggesting the format is used to test demand beyond small rice cake shops.
Key facts
- CU said it will release “pizza jeolpyeon” on Oct. 8. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The product uses sliced rice cake (jeolpyeon) in place of wheat dough and is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, corn and olives. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- CU said it planned the item after noting the social media trend for “pizza seolgi,” which uses white rice cake as a pizza base. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- ZDNet Korea and Asia Economy reported the product can be heated in a microwave for about 20 seconds. [ 2 , 3 ]
- ZDNet Korea and Asia Economy reported it will be sold as a regular-sale item, and Asia Economy described it as the convenience store industry’s first such regular-sale product. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Asia Economy reported the price is 3,800 won. [ 3 ]
- Citing the big data platform SomeTrend, Asia Economy reported social media mentions of pizza seolgi rose from fewer than 100 in April to about 2,000 in August and more than 10,000 in September. [ 3 ]
- Asia Economy reported CU’s earlier “Dubai chewy rice cake” sold about 1.1 million units in last year’s fourth quarter, with cumulative sales of about 2.8 million. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- CU will launch a dessert called “pizza jeolpyeon” on Oct. 8, made by putting pizza toppings on sliced rice cake instead of wheat dough. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The toppings include tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, corn and olives. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- CU said it developed the product in response to the social media popularity of “pizza seolgi,” which uses white rice cake as a pizza base. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- CU said the product will be sold as a regular-sale item. [ 2 , 3 ]
- A BGF Retail official said the company will keep watching food trends spreading through social media and add CU’s own ideas. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The price of “pizza jeolpyeon” is given as 3,800 won. Only one outlet, Asia Economy, reports the price; Yonhap and ZDNet Korea do not mention it.
- The claim that the product is the convenience store industry’s first such regular-sale item. Only Asia Economy makes this claim; the other documents do not address it.
- How widely the product will be sold and how many units CU expects to sell. The documents give the Oct. 8 launch date but no store rollout or sales targets.
- The launch time on Oct. 8. The documents give the date but no time of day.