Tteok sales surge 31% in a year, with under-30s leading the charge

Spending on packaged tteok jumped more than 30 percent in a single year, with buyers under 30 posting the steepest rise — upending the long-held image of the traditional rice cake as a snack for older generations.

According to purchase data compiled by Macromill Embrain using barcode-scanned transactions, estimated spending on packaged tteok over the 12 months through August reached 151.9 billion won ($114 million), up 31.2 percent from 115.8 billion won in the same period a year earlier.

The tteok boom is a recent phenomenon. In the preceding 12-month period ending August 2025, estimated spending had in fact slipped 1.8 percent year on year. The turnaround over the past year was broad-based: the number of purchase receipts rose 23 percent, while total spending climbed even faster, suggesting consumers are spending more per trip.

The surge was not confined to any single demographic. Every age group recorded spending growth of more than 20 percent. Those under 30 led all groups with a 45.5 percent increase, though they accounted for the smallest share of total spending at 11.5 percent. Analysts attributed the jump to younger consumers seeking out tteok desserts that had gone viral on social media.

Shoppers in their 50s posted the second-highest growth rate at 40 percent. Combined, those in their 40s and 50s made up 54.5 percent of total tteok spending — more than half the market.

Among individual varieties, chewy textures dominated. Injeolmi held the top spot by spending, rising 63.8 percent year on year. Chapssal-tteok climbed 88.7 percent, moving up from third to second place. Chaltteok, garaetteok, hwaltteok, songpyeon and tteok skewer and tteokbokki rice cakes rounded out the top seven, which together accounted for 64.5 percent of total tteok spending.

Outside the top seven, mochi stood out. Spending on mochi-style tteok was smaller in absolute terms but grew roughly 2.6 times over the year — a 161.5 percent increase, the highest rate among tteok varieties with at least 3 billion won in annual sales. Analysts said the trend reflects growing demand for tteok as an everyday sweet snack or dessert.

The data cover estimated spending on packaged tteok products with barcodes sold through major retail channels including hypermarkets, convenience stores and online platforms. Purchases from traditional tteok shops and other outlets where barcodes are not scanned were not included.