KOCHI: Since the pandemic outbreak, all things Korean has been getting plenty of traction online. Sure, the K-dramas, K-pop, and their aegyo did put most of us in a better mood. But the K-wave seems to have forayed into food and dining too — from dalgona coffees to baked samgyups.
Along with the quarantine exclusives, the South Korean minimalist cakes has also entered the food trends. The fluffy, deep, pastel-toned tiny Korean lunchbox cakes are now much-hyped in Kochi too, after Bhavana, the owner of the homegrown bakery ‘The Sugar Sifter’, brought them down.
“Korean lunchbox cakes have been popular in South Korea since last year. They are round cakes with a radius of four inches and weigh only 300g. Apart from its size, what makes the cake unique is its minimal design. It comes out in single tone colour mostly, with short messages. Some of them have intricate details in the designs too,” says Bhavana.
Bhavana keeps the Korean vibe intact. But when it comes to design, she lets her creative juices flow through the buttercream frosting. “The lunchbox cakes have become a huge hit in Kochi. I get around 20-25 orders daily. It is pretty mundane to stick to the usual designs and do the same multiple times. So I try swirls, flower wreaths, rope borders, braided and dollop borders, rosettes, etc,” says Bhavana. These cakes are not just bought exclusively for occasions. Due to lockdown, many are not able to visit their near and dear ones, so as a kind gesture, so they send them to family and friends to cheer them up, says Bhavana.
Eco-friendly boxes
Korean lunchbox cakes are called lunch/bento boxes because they are kept inside clamshell biodegradable takeaway square mini lunch boxes. The Korean minimalist cakes are available in classic vanilla with buttercream, caramel, raspberry coffee, chocolate ganache, salted caramel and chocolate, nutella, and hazelnut crunch flavours. The best sellers among the lot are chocolate with salted caramel and vanilla raspberry.
Instagram: @thesugarsifter