How the viral Olympic chocolate muffins came to New York

What would you do for a chocolate muffin?

That’s what independent creator Kelin Carolyn Zhang wondered as she watched Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen proclaim his love for the chocolate muffins served at the Olympic Village on TikTok.

Christiansen has posted more than a dozen videos of her beloved “chocolate muffin,” and Olympic stars like “pommel horse man” Stephen Nedoroscik and track and field gold medalist Gabby Thomas have also shared their love for the baked goods.

Zhang was intrigued.

Three weeks later, she tracked down the French supplier, arranged for a shipment of muffins to the United States, and overcame the resulting difficulties, all to bring the viral muffins to New York for a pop-up event. In a thread on X, Zhang detailed how she worked with New York cafe Isshiki Matcha to bring the viral muffins to hundreds of New Yorkers on August 17.

“I’m a big believer in trying new things,” Zhang told NBC News. “I think this is one of the most extreme examples of that approach.”

Her viral quest for the muffins began: she produced and posted several videos in an attempt to identify the muffins’ creator. She eventually discovered that they were made by Coup de pates. At that point, a stranger reached out to her with the following comment: her friend Angel Zheng, the owner of Isshiki Matcha, would be willing to help her import and sell the muffins.

“I think I’m the only crazy cafe owner in New York who would be willing to dedicate such a small amount of time to do something of this magnitude,” Zheng said in an interview with NBC News.

Isshiki Matcha, which has been open for four months, mainly sells premium matcha and matcha drinks. Zheng described his interest in bringing authentic food to a wider audience and hosting events like the collaboration with Zhang or fashion pop-ups.

In her thread, Zhang detailed the hurdles she faced in obtaining the muffins, including having to contact Coup de pates on multiple platforms, getting approval from customs and the FDA, and worrying about the muffins spoiling.

When the muffins arrived in the United States, the customs broker told Zhang that they could not be delivered the same day because the refrigerated truck was too small. The broker offered to have the airline store the muffins in a freezer until the next morning and was eventually able to deliver them the same day. Zheng even purchased a new freezer to store the muffins.

Zhang described his mindset as focusing on one problem at a time and being solution-oriented.

On the day of the event, hundreds of New Yorkers aligned They started at 6 a.m. to buy a muffin. After eating a few and sharing them with family and friends, the duo sold the remaining 263 muffins.

The coffee Dear Each muffin costs $10, and Zheng said most of that goes to shipping costs and they mainly make money that day when customers buy a matcha alongside the muffin.

While some netizens criticized the hype surrounding a simple muffin, Zhang said it was light entertainment that made fans watching the Olympics from a continent away feel included.

“I can’t be an Olympian,” she added. “I could eat that viral muffin that all these Olympians keep talking about.”

Zhang described the muffin as light, fluffy and not too sweet. “I’m a fan of it,” she said. However, she was only able to eat three-quarters of one muffin, mainly for a taste test she posted online, and hopes to try more.

Zhang and Zheng are trying to import another batch of muffins to sell (and eat), but nothing is finalized yet. Still, what Zhang enjoyed most was the experience.

“Have fun, life is short,” Zhang said. “Be a little silly.”

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com