Breads come in various shapes and sizes, with different textures (some chewy, some smooth) and flavours, so what made one particular type of loaf – of Korean tissue bread – break the internet?
And, perhaps more importantly, where can we get some?
Korean tissue bread, which as the name suggests, is made of many layers of thin dough; each slice looks like a torn piece of paper (or a handkerchief). When it went viral on social media earlier this year, it was only available in places like South Korea and was compared to the likes of the thin Indian flatbread called rumali roti.
But it’s not like you need a plane ticket to get your hands on some. You can get it right here in Dubai at a popular little bakery known as Yamanote Atelier. Maryam Thani, Marketing Coordinator at the cafe and bakery, says: “Tissue bread is a popular item in Japan and Korea, and as a Japanese bakery, we felt it was the right time to introduce it to the UAE.”
The bread is made fresh at the brand’s flagship store in Al Ferdous and sold across its Dubai and Abu Dhabi branches. At the café, you’ll find your tissue bread, which looks a bit like a baked harmonica, comes with three dips, honey butter, chocolate sauce and strawberry jam. And it’s causing quite a stir, especially since the act of tearing into the loaf makes for such a photogenic moment.
“We regularly sell out,” affirms Thani, adding, “We are receiving very positive feedback.”
Dubai-based blogger Haya Kaabar, who owns the Insta handle thedubailist, says: “I loved the honey butter dip they had! That was probably my favourite, and it was light such a nice treat.”
Kaabar had read about the bread online and wanted to try it. “Actually I was seeing it all over Instagram reels and TikTok from Korea – and had saved it for a future holiday there. So when I saw them announce that it’s here, I just had to go and try it out,” she tells City Times.
Fortunately, it seems to have lived up to the hype. “It’s light and sweet, and the honey butter really balanced it out. We always see them hyped up in videos from abroad, so I’m always curious to see what the hype is all about,” she adds.
Digital creator Uroosa Khanl also put up a reel of herself getting some bread. She captioned her video: “My personal favourite was honey butter. [The] price is pretty decent 29 AED , but the dips are extra.”
The dips cost Dh12 each.
Making this type of bread isn’t like making an ordinary loaf, says Thani. “ The process is different than regular breads, as it requires more precision and accuracy.”
The tissue bread that broke the internet came from Truffle Bakery in Hannam-dong, Seoul, which, explains Tapas magazine, is “sculpted from delicate layers of bread meticulously stacked to form a single loaf.”
Tear, dip, eat, repeat. Sounds like the recipe for a delicious afternoon.