In this blog post, we will look at how sweet desserts and cafes have become a place of healing and comfort in the daily lives of modern people.
It is not uncommon to see “café streets” where several cafés are lined up in one alley, as if the saying “There is a café across the street” is not true. The signs of various cafés lined up along the street each boast unique charms and catch the eyes of passersby. In the past, cafés were simply places to drink coffee, but now they have evolved into places that offer a cultural experience. In particular, university campuses, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, and Hongdae, where there are many young people, are packed with unique cafés, making it easy to choose a café with an interior or atmosphere that suits your taste. What is surprising is that many cafes located in these areas are almost always crowded with people. In the end, the increased demand for cafes has created numerous cafes all over the streets. So what is it that has attracted so many people to cafes and increased the demand for them?
Cafes used to be places that only sold coffee, but nowadays it is hard to find a place that only sells coffee. In addition to bitter coffee, various drinks, shaved ice, and sweet desserts such as cakes have become the signature menu of cafes. In recent years, the trend of cafes turning into ‘dessert cafes’ has become more prominent, and it is now common to see ‘dessert cafes’ where desserts are the main attraction rather than coffee. This is an important factor that goes beyond simply providing drinks and attracts customers with sweetness. A representative brand of dessert cafes is “Tusmplace.” Tusmplace sells not only various beverages including coffee, but also a variety of desserts that are sweet just by their names, such as waffles, cakes, shaved ice, gelato, and honey bread, and is actively marketing them. One of the attractions of Twosome Place is that you can discover a new dessert menu every time you visit the store. Currently, there are more than 1,400 stores nationwide, and the number of stores is still steadily increasing.
A brand similar to Two Ships is Coffee Bean. Coffee Bean has about 1,000 stores, which is slightly less than Two Ships, but it is attracting customers’ attention by focusing on high-quality desserts. Coffee Bean is trying to differentiate itself by offering premium desserts, such as cakes and handmade chocolates, made by professional patissiers in stores. Customers can go beyond simply enjoying coffee and experience a special feeling by tasting luxurious desserts and drinks together.
So why are we so captivated by the lure of sweet desserts? The first reason is the development of civilization. In general, as civilization develops and national income rises, sugar consumption tends to increase. Sweetness is an attractive element that has been developed and spread over a long period of time, and there is a saying that sugar consumption is a measure of civilization. As Westernized food culture spread, Western food culture and dessert culture, which use a lot of sugar, became established in Korea, and this can be seen as the driving force behind the Korean people’s love of desserts today.
Another reason is that the spread of smartphones has led to active cultural exchanges through social networking services (SNS). When you take a picture of a dessert that looks so sweet that it makes you want to eat it just by looking at it and post it on social media, you can easily communicate with people overseas and share dessert culture. For example, the famous Japanese dessert brand “Mont-Cheri” first sold a roll cake called “Doji-Roll” filled with sweet whipped cream at its Osaka main store, and its visual appearance and taste were introduced to Korea through the social media of Japanese tourists and celebrities. Thanks to the popularity of Dojima Roll, the Montchou Cafe opened in Sinsa-dong, and the popular Montchou dessert menu later made its way into Korean department stores. In addition, unfamiliar desserts such as French macarons and tarts spread through social media and became popular menu items in Korean cafes. Now that it is easy to access overseas dessert culture, Korea’s dessert culture is also changing in various ways.
In addition, the increased stress of modern people is also one of the main reasons why Koreans are looking for sweet desserts. Everyone has probably experienced the feeling of being happy after eating something sweet at least once. Medical news portal MedicalXpress has published a study that found that “sugary beverages regulate the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that affects stress, and have the function of suppressing the brain’s stress response.” As these studies show, the sweetness that makes you feel good is not just a feeling, but an actual scientifically proven effect. The effect of this sweetness is comforting to many modern people who live a harsh daily life amid economic recession and social unrest, and it is the reason why they seek out desserts.
The reason why so many cafes have appeared in Korea is that many people naturally go to cafes, which are places where they can relax and enjoy sweet desserts. When you enter the cafe, the aroma of coffee and sweet desserts warmly welcomes visitors. In this charming space, people take a break from their daily worries and find comfort and psychological stability while enjoying sweet desserts that delight the eyes and the palate. Through this small luxury of a cafe, modern people can take a break from the burdens of their minds and gain the strength and courage to live their lives, even if only for a moment, in the midst of their anxious reality.
Ultimately, the popularity of cafes that attract tired modern people with sweet desserts reflects the efforts of modern people to heal themselves.
