Acorn jelly draws Korean Gen Z as portable street food

Acorn jelly, known as dotorimuk in Korean, has become a viral street food sensation among Korean Gen Z in their 20s and 30s. Specialty eateries in Seoul's Mangwon neighborhood are experiencing long lines of young adults eagerly lining up to try this portable cup of acorn jelly served with rice and broth. Even on weekdays, crowds gather well before doors open, as people eagerly await their chance to grab a cup.

This trend marks a generational shift for dotorimuk, a traditional Korean side dish that was once associated with rustic tavern meals shared after mountain hikes. However, younger diners are now embracing the jelly as a modern wellness food. Every fall, acorns turn brown and fall from oak trees. The nuts contain astringent tannins that give them a bitter taste.

To make the jelly, cooks must soak the raw acorns repeatedly in water to leach out the bitterness. They then finely grind the acorns, allowing the sediment to settle and extract pure starch. The starch is dissolved in water, boiled, and allowed to cool into a thick jelly, removing most of the tannins and yielding a delicious and nutritious treat.