Standing in queue for 10 hours in latest dessert craze
Come rain or shine, Madam Aidah Idris was hell-bent on getting her hands on the latest "in" dessert – kunafa.
Kunafa is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry soaked in syrup and typically layered with cheese, clotted cream, pistachio or nuts, depending on the region.
Snaking queues could be seen at Absolut Food Fest, which took place from Aug 16 to 18 in Kallang.
Fans of Kunafa Aiwahh — a kunafa pastry brand owned by Malaysian influencer Ojenn Aiwahh — started queueing as early as 8.30am, with some standing in line for up to 10 hours.
Several of those who turned up at the food festival were also fans of the influencer, who has over 1.5 million followers on TikTok.
Madam Aidah, 50, told Berita Minggu that she follows Ojenn because of his music concerts.
"When we found out Ojenn was coming to Singapore, we had to come here and get some of his kunafa," said the home business owner who started queueing at 8.30am and managed to get her seven boxes of kunafa just before 1pm.
@kunafa.aiwahhh Terimakasih singapore ini adalah satu fenomena 😭🙏🏻 You guys memang gilaaa , Takkan boleh lupa 🫶🏼
♬ Biar Sampai Ke Bintang - Asmidar
According to marketing experts and entrepreneurs, the kunafa fever that is spreading, especially among Malay consumers, is a classic example of the power of marketing through social media.
Associate Professor Lau Kong Cheen, academician and head of Business School Marketing Programme at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), said the marketing style also reflects the value of mutual support in the Malay community.
"The psychology of long queues creates the impression that the product being sold is of good quality and worth waiting for, and it also becomes a social experience that is shared between customers and friends and family members," explained Prof Lau.
The trend is believed to have started in Malaysia two years ago and spread to Singapore after local business Mangobossku introduced it at the Geylang Serai Bazaar last Ramadan.
Miss Nur Aisyah Abdullah, a 23-year-old pre-school teacher, told Berita Harian that kunafa has been sold in Middle Eastern restaurants for a long time but what makes this viral version more interesting are the variations, with sauces such as red velvet, matcha and pistachio.
Mangobossku has jumped on the influencer bandwagon following the success of his kunafa sales and online content last Ramadan in which he used thuggish characters to attract eyeballs on social media.
Mr Ridjal Noor, owner of PullUpStand.com, noted how sellers who are now influencers openly share their personal stories and struggles with their audience.
"Such stories elicit emotions from netizens. The sellers also express their appreciation to customers, building rapport between them."
Mr Hairul Aswan, director and owner of Papa Bakerz, a store selling baking ingredients, has also benefited from the kunafa craze – he faced shortage for kataifi flour, the key ingredient in making the dessert.
There have also been new creations based on kunafa, such as kunafa chocolate bars and kunafa croissants.
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