Coffee-less coffee, chocolates without cocoa: A look into North Korea’s substitute economy

North Korea's latest innovation in confectionery is a "chocolate" crafted not from cocoa, but from "purple beans." Researchers at Ryanggang University of Industry developed the product, which has been patented domestically and is now in production at a food factory in Ryanggang Province, according to pro-Pyongyang newspaper Choson Sinbo.

While touted as an achievement, the development highlights North Korea's persistent need for recognizable foreign goods, even if in altered forms. The country has spent decades publicly rejecting the outside world while selectively absorbing its cultural symbols. Foreign snacks become local cakes, smartphones become domestic technology, and now, cocoa is replaced by beans.

These substitutes serve multiple purposes. Some, like the soybean-based meat substitute "injogogi," emerged from the severe famine of the 1990s as a survival food. Others, such as corn coffee and North Korean-made instant coffee, fulfill a desire for the rituals and image of modern urban life, offering a small comfort of participation in global trends.

The phenomenon extends to items like Choco Pies, once a symbol of South Korean prosperity distributed at the Kaesong industrial park. Even when such goods are banned or unavailable, North Korea's substitute economy demonstrates a unique approach to managing not only material shortages but also the very concept of desire within one of the world's most isolated societies.