People who are chronically online, for sure, have encountered this question: “Dubai Chewy Cookie or Ilocos Empanada?” 

Across different social media platforms the question lingered– making you question whether you are craving something savory and crunchy like the empanada or something sweet and chewy like the cookie.

From South Korea, with love 

The Dubai Chewy Cookie, South Korea’s twist on the viral Dubai pistachio chocolate bar, was made by Fix Dessert Chocolatier with Filipino pastry chef Nouel Catis Omamalin, also known as Chef Noeul. The treat went viral at the end of 2023.

Kim Na-ra of the Mond Cookie in Seoul, South Korea, drew inspiration to make “Dujjonku,” a chewy twist to the famous treat, after a regular customer suggested that they fill their regular chewy cookies with the fillings of the bar. 

The chocolate bar contains knafeh (shredded filo pastry), rich pistachio cream, and tahini, while the chewy cookie is made up of soft, cocoa-powdered marshmallow exterior filled with crunchy pistachio-kataifi cream.

Solid delicacy from the North 

Despite being in the culinary scene for quite a long time, Ilocos Empanadas take the spotlight among accessible street food in the metro, not just in its region.

Ilocanos then found a way to transform the dish, making it stand out because of its vibrant orange crust made from rice flour and achuete, filled with a savory mixture of shredded green papaya, mung beans, crumbled Vigan longganisa, and a whole egg.

The concept of empanada stemmed from the Spaniards, as it translates to “wrapped in bread," and is characterized by its sweet flour pastry and savory fillings inside. 

Do you need to pick between the two treats? For others, having a dessert after a savory treat serves as an answer.