Fresh cream shortage drags into September as heat wave lingers

"When can I get fresh cream?"

A shortage of fresh cream has stretched into early September, with persistently hot weather slowing the recovery of raw milk output.

Independent cafes have struggled to secure fresh cream in recent weeks, according to industry sources. Kim, who runs a cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, said her usual supplier told her it had run out, leaving her without deliveries for several days.

"I've been reaching out to other suppliers to keep going, but even when I'm willing to pay more, I don't have enough stock for the weekend," she said. "My supplier told me normal deliveries would be difficult for now."

A cafe in Mapo-gu, Seoul, has temporarily dropped bakery items that use fresh cream. The owner, surnamed Min, said she had been selling fresh cream bread but pulled it from the menu because prices had risen too sharply. "I can't pass the higher cream prices on to customers," Min said. "Even a 100-won price increase gets an immediate reaction."

Fresh cream is a byproduct of processing raw milk into skim milk powder and low-fat products, and it faces a shortage every summer as heat-stressed cows produce significantly less milk.

Abnormal weather patterns have pushed the heat wave through September this year, delaying the usual output recovery. Daytime highs have continued to exceed 30 degrees Celsius even after Aug. 23, the traditional "Cheoseo" solar term that typically marks the end of summer heat. Statistics from the Korea Dairy Committee show raw milk output fell from 176,616 tons in May last year to 154,566 tons in August and 153,383 tons in September.

Lower fat content in summer milk and surging demand driven by the dessert boom are also cited as factors deepening the supply imbalance.

Independent cafes are poorly positioned to cope with the shortage. Unlike hypermarkets and franchise chains, which receive stable supplies through bulk orders, small cafes source small quantities through specific local suppliers.

Online communities for self-employed business owners have seen a stream of complaints in recent weeks — "only a tiny amount of cream came in, so I had no choice but to cut related menu items" and "prices are so high there's nothing left as profit." The crunch has even spawned a new term: "saengketing," a portmanteau likening the scramble to order fresh cream to the fierce competition of online ticket sales.

The shortage is expected to continue for now. "The heat has kept up until recently," one industry official said. "Output should recover once the weather cools down."