Plastered around the internet via TikTok videos and Instagram posts, dalgona coffee has gained viral status within the past few weeks. With many countries in the world being on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people have turned to the internet looking for ways to break up the monotony of their daily lives – finding such solace in the whipped peaks of a fancy, sugar-laden coffee.
Named after a popular Korean street toffee, dalgona coffee originally gained popularity in South Korea, and has since risen to global fame. The viral coffee drink has mainly been circulated on the infamous social media platform TikTok, with Vice noting that the #dalgonacoffee hashtag amassed over 3.4 million views as of March 20. The stardom of dalgona coffee also expands to Instagram; Insider mentioned that the #dalgonacofee tag had approximately 118,000 posts two days ago.
Described by BBC Food as “a cappuccino turned on its head” and by Insider as “one of the cultural fixtures of the quarantine era”, dalgona coffee has certainly gained noteworthy cultural esteem. Take part in cultural continuity and make the four-ingredient TikTok treat while it’s still trending. Courtesy of BBC Food, here is the recipe for dalgona coffee:
Ingredients List (four simple ingredients):
- Instant coffee granules (other related substitutes, such as espresso, will not work)
- Water
- Sugar
- Cold or hot milk (to which the whipped coffee mixture will be added when it’s completed)
Method:
- Mix two tablespoons of each ingredient (bar the milk) and whip the dark watery paste until it turns into a thick texture similar to that of whipped cream. A traditional whisk or an electric mixture can be used to whip the mixture – either one will work, but the electric mixer is faster.
- Once you have made your whipped coffee mixture, spoon over your choice of hot or cold milk (the milk can even be plant-based!), and take a picture or video to post on Instagram or TikTok.
Who knows whether this coffee-lover’s fantasy survive past lockdown life, but be prepared to see the beige whipped-peaks of dalgona coffee embedded into your brain within the next few months, as you endlessly browse the internet. Enjoy!
For more coffee-related entertainment, click here to read about a coffee machine which sounds like Britney Spears (an easily-achievable feat for a machine, if you ask me).
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