Dalgona | Dalgona Candy, Coffee and much more!

South Korean dalgona took the world by storm in 2020 and 2021. What started with the Dalgona Coffee trend on TikTok culminated with the appearance of this simple, sweet candy on the popular Netflix show Squid Game. Dalgona became famous all over the world, with many people recreating dalgona recipes and playing the dalgona game. But, dalgona has been around much, much longer in South Korea. How did this cheap street food, which is literally made with just sugar and baking soda, become so popular? Let’s find out!

What Is Dalgona?

Dalgona is a Korean street food that is made with just 2 ingredients: sugar and baking soda. The sugar is melted and mixed with a pinch of baking soda which, when heated, releases carbon dioxide. This makes the melted sugar puff up so that the candy becomes light, airy, and crunchy once it is cooled down.

Typically, dalgona is made by street food vendors, who pour the typical brown, caramel-colored liquid on a flat surface and stamp it with a patterned mold. The mold often has the shape of a star, heart, car, or triangle. People try to break the shape free from the candy without cracking it, either by eating their way around the outline or by breaking off small pieces. If they succeed, the street food vendor gives them another dalgona for free. These days algota is everywhere foodies go in Korea, from street cafes to fine dining restaurants

History of Dalgona

Dalgona has a long history in South Korea. Right after the Second World War, Korea was still a very poor country. Many children had grown accustomed to the chocolates handed out by American soldiers right after the war, so street food vendors tried to fill that void by making dalgona candy. When sugar was still expensive, glucose was used instead, but in the 1960s sugar became cheaper and, as sugar was easier to mold, dalgona vendors preferred using it over glucose.

In the 1970s and 1980s, dalgona vendors were a common sight next to schools, parks, and toy stores as many children loved the cheap candy and loved playing the game. However, in the early 2000s dalgona lost in popularity as foreign candy arrived in Korea. This put many of the street food vendors out of business. Luckily, the Dalgona Coffee trend and the success of Squid Game have led to many Koreans lining up for the candy once again.

Dalgona VS Ppopgi

Maybe you have seen the name ppopgi used interchangeably with Dalgona. Technically, dalgona (달고나) refers to the candies made with glucose whereas ppopgi (뽑기) refers to the candies made with sugar. As the sugar-based candies became more popular, the word dalgona started referring to the same candy as ppopgi. Nowadays, the terms are often used interchangeably.

Interestingly, there used to be a huge variety in the names of dalgona candy around the country in the 1970s and 1980s, before mass media popularized the name dalgona.

• Ttigi (띠기): Used in the southwestern provinces Chungcheong and Jeolla and in Daejeon.
• Gukja (국자): Used in Daegu and the North Gyeongsang Province. Gukja refers to a ladle, which was used to eat the candy.
• Jjokja (쪽자): Mainly used in the South Gyeongsang Province.
• Orittegi / orittigi (오리떼기/오리띠기): Used in Masan and is said to have originated from the dialect of cutting and pulling.
• Ttong-gwaja (똥과자): In Busan, people referred to dalgona as Ttong-gwaja, which literally means poop cookie.
• Ttegi (떼기): In the Jeju dialect, dalgona was called ttegi.

Dalgona In Squid Game

Although the term ‘dalgona’ already started becoming more well-known internationally in 2020 due to the Dalgona Coffee trend on TikTok, the candy itself became known to the world due to the drama Squid Game. In this drama, contestants have to play traditional children’s games to win a cash prize and if they lose any of the games, they die. One of those games was dalgona!

In the show, the contestants have to perfectly take out the shape on their dalgona candy, without it cracking or breaking. If it does, the contestant will be killed right away. Some shapes – like a triangle – are easier to break out than others. Luckily, one of the main contestants finds a great way to win this game… 

*Squid Game spoiler alert ahead *

Sugar melts a little when it comes into contact with water! One trick to get the shape out perfectly is licking the back of the candy, so it slowly disintegrates and you can take out the shape without breaking it. Another trick is to heat a needle and carefully trace the shape. The hot needle will melt down the lines so that the shape can be removed wholly.

After the show aired, the dalgona candy became super popular in Korea and all over the world. The hashtag #dalgonachallenge was popular on TikTok and showed many people making their own dalgona and attempting to cut the shape free from the candy without breaking it. Fun fact: all the dalgona in Squid Game was made by a traditional dalgona vendor. It is said that after the popularity of the show, he had so many customers he could not go home for a whole week!

Dalgona Coffee

But before the #dalgonachallenge became popular on TikTok, dalgona has already been trending on TikTok in 2020, but this time due to Dalgona Coffee. Dalgona Coffee is a coffee made by whipping equal parts instant coffee powder, sugar, and water until it becomes creamy and fluffy and then adding it to cold or hot milk. Dalgona Coffee became popular on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people liked watching these kinds of videos due to their calming, ASMR-like effects.

Funnily, the drink actually does not contain any dalgona candy and it did not even originate in Korea. What happened is that famous actor Jung Il-woo ordered this drink in a coffee shop in Macau on a television program. He likened the taste to dalgona candy, thus indirectly giving the name to this drink. When Koreans saw the broadcast, they started creating their own Dalgona Coffee and many cafes in Korea put it on the menu.

1. Dalgona Coffee Recipe

You will need:

• 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp of instant coffee (ground coffee does not work)
• 2 tbsp of water
• Ice for serving
• Milk or water for serving

How to make

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, coffee, and water. Use a mixer to whisk the mixture vigorously. Continue mixing until it becomes silky smooth, shiny, and thick. You know you have the right consistency when the mixture holds its fluffy shape firmly. If you whisk by hand, it takes quite long: up to 10 minutes.
2. Put the ice in a tall glass and add the milk or water. Scoop the fluffy dalgona coffee mix on top. If desired, mix before drinking.

Dalgona Candy

Dalgona candy is definitely a lot harder to make than Dalgona Coffee, as it requires quite a bit of precision and caution. The candy breaks easily when you try to make it too fast, so it often requires quite a few practice runs before you get it right. Nevertheless, it is super fun to make so give it a try!

1. Dalgona Candy Recipe

For this recipe you will need:

• 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
• A pinch of baking soda
• Cooking spray.

How to make dalgona candy:

1. Prepare a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Add the sugar to a large ladle or small nonstick skillet. Place the ladle or skillet over a medium flame, and stir the sugar with chopsticks until it begins to melt (approximately 2 minutes).
3. Once the sugar has melted and turned amber in color, remove the ladle/skillet from the flame and immediately stir in a pinch of baking powder. Keep stirring until it is mixed well and the candy has gotten a light brown color.
4. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet in circles. You can make around 2 candies with this recipe. Spray a spatula with cooking spray and softly press the circle until the candy is around 0.5cm thick. 
5. Use a cookie cutter to softly press in the desired shape. Caution: do not press the cookie cutter all the way down, but press it lightly on the top. Let cool and serve.

Dalgona Game

So, how do you play the dalgona game? That is actually quite simple. You take a dalgona candy and try to get the shape out without breaking it. Some shapes are harder than others. If you want an easy shape, try a triangle or a shape without any round lines! There are many different techniques you can use:

• Breaking of the sides.
• Biting off small bites around the shape.
• Using a (heated) needle to poke the shape out (as seen in Squid Game).
• Licking the back of the candy to melt the sugar (as seen in Squid Game).

In Korea, if you break out the shape wholly, without any cracks, you get another dalgona candy from the street vendor. 

Which technique works for you? Let us know, we are curious to hear! Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions