Why Are People Queuing for 3 Hours to Buy “Dirty Buns”?

Trendy foods make me irrationally angry. Don't get me wrong, I'm all in on avocado toast, but unicorn lattes? Rainbow bagels? Blue wine? Give me a break. Call me old fashioned but I’m of the opinion that food should actually look like food, not to mention I don’t understand why long queues seem to have become an indicator of quality. 

Thus we come to Bad Farmers Our Bakery’s uber-chocolate croissant, the 脏脏包 aka “dirty bun” (*shudder*). While I can’t accuse the “dirty bun” of not looking like food (it is just a chocolate croissant), it has all the other markers of an infuriating food trend: huge queues, limited daily release, and near saturation on social media. Which brings us to the burning question of why? 

I was “lucky” enough to try one of Bad Farmers Our Bakery’s creations (thanks to an app that sends someone to queue for the bun in your place, will wonders never cease) and I can say with all honesty that it is … fine. The chocolate flavor is pronounced and the mound of cocoa powder dusted over the top is good quality Valrhona. I mean, it’s a chocolate croissant, what’s not to like, right? So quality and flavor are clearly a factor but there is a darker power at work here and that power is marketing. Rarely does a dish become popular just by virtue of being good; instead, it requires a potent combination of limited edition sales, an Instagram or WeChat-worthy schtick, and an aggressive media buying strategy. China, in particular, seems to be particularly susceptible to the belief that there is some kind of cachet in sharing a photo of you getting to the front of the line for whatever store or restaurant is raking in the most column inches this month.

If you do want to get your hands on a “dirty bun” but don’t happen to have a spare three hours, then several other stores have caught on to the trend. A mere five-minute walk away in Xingfucun, There Will Be Bread is picking up good reviews on Dianping for its take on this chocolatey treat (RMB 30). The croissant is heavy on chocolate flavor and not too sweet, which worked in its favor, although I found the cocoa powder on top to be a little bitter. 

Over in Guomao, Shangri-La group are getting in on the action too. The Sweet Spot (which is located in China World Mall but operated by China World Hotel) sells “dirty buns” on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only. To be honest, this is my favorite version in town, The Sweet Spot’s years of baking experience and superior ingredients clearly on show. Nuo Hotel also offers a version of the bun in their bakery.

So, is the “dirty bun” worth all the queuing and napkins it entails? We’ll let you decide …

More stories by this author here.

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Photos: Bad Farmers Our Bakery (accessed via Dianping), Instagram, Dianping