"It's Not Just About Taste: The Secret Behind Desserts Captivating the World Is 'Texture'"

'Texture' Craze Fueled by SNS Drives Fierce Competition in the Food Industry
Surge in Searches for Texture Keywords Such as "Chewy" and "Soft"

'Texture' is emerging as a new consumer point in the food industry. From crispy and chewy sensations to foods that pop in your mouth, a variety of textures are gaining popularity worldwide. As texture is increasingly recognized as a factor that influences the enjoyment of eating and perceptions of products, competition over texture in the food industry is expected to intensify.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

"Crispy, Chewy, Soft"…Texture Becomes as Important as Flavor, Now a Key Competitive Factor for the Food Industry

On September 14, 2026 (local time), the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing U.S. food ingredient company Ingredion, that crispy, chewy, and soft textures have become critical factors influencing consumers' choices, satisfaction, and intentions to make repeat purchases.

Ingredion explained that interest in texture is not confined to any single region but is appearing worldwide. In China, sales of chewy yogurt are rapidly increasing, while in Sweden, "Sprinkled Pommes," a crispy-coated item, has gained popularity. The "Crookie," a combination of croissant and cookie that originated in France, drew worldwide attention about two years ago.

Foods known for distinctive textures, such as mochi or the tapioca pearls found in bubble tea, have existed for a long time. However, it is now being observed that interest in texture has grown even further in recent years.

Jenny Zegler from market research firm Mintel stated, "Over the past few years, interest in texture has absolutely exploded," and added, "'Chewy,' 'soft,' and 'melts-in-your-mouth' are texture-related keywords that are seeing a rapid increase in search volume within the food segment."

Social networking services (SNS) such as TikTok and YouTube are helping to drive interest in texture, as content featuring the sounds of chewing or biting into foods, as well as videos showing cross-sections, have become wildly popular.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also cited as one factor in rising interest in texture. As people temporarily lost their sense of smell and taste because of COVID-19, the texture of foods attracted relatively more attention.

Meeting the diverse texture preferences of consumers has also become a challenge for the food industry. Last year, McDonald's changed the recipe for its "McCrispy Chicken Strips" after feedback noted they were "not crispy enough." In the delivery process, to preserve the crispy texture of french fries, a special coating was developed to keep them crispy for up to 30 minutes.

Zegler predicted, "Going forward, texture development tailored to consumer characteristics will become more active, and there will be more products combining multiple textures in one."

The 'Texture Craze' Sweeping Korean Desserts…Foreigners Now Take Interest in K-Tteok

Meanwhile, interest in texture can also be seen through the desserts trending in Korea. Following treats like Du-jjonku and Butter Tteok, "Pizza Seolgi," which features pizza toppings on top of Baekseolgi, is now enjoying huge popularity on social media.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pexels

As chewy or crispy-textured desserts continue to emerge in succession, there is also growing overseas interest in the unique textures of Korean tteok (rice cakes).

While the chewy and sticky texture of tteok was once unfamiliar to many foreigners, it is now easy to find content on SNS featuring foreigners introducing and tasting Korean rice cakes by searching for "rice cake" or "tteok."

Last year, U.S. food media outlet Eater reported that as tteok was being used in a variety of dishes, similar to gnocchi, it is attracting the attention of chefs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.