Dalgona Coffee: An Unfiltered History
Originally Published: 21 April 2020
If you haven't made a TikTok dance yet or participated in an Instagram challenge, congratulations- you clearly don't follow the crowd. But then you saw a beverage. Its gorgeous two-toned allure compelled you to try a viral trend. And here you are, wanting to know more about it.
DALGONA & THE KOREAN WAR
The word 'Dalgona' (ppogopgi in Korean) means 'honeycomb toffee' and is a sugar treat that was popularised in South Korea between the years 1970-80s. According to an article in the South China Morning Post, this treat was created after the Korean War (1950-53), "during which US Army personnel gave out confectionery to local children. Their parents, unable to spare money for such treats, went about trying to make their own versions." This claim is echoed by other memoirs of the Korean war. For instance, one account describes how American soldiers put candy in their hats and poured them into children's pocket: "And that's the first time I tasted American chocolates." Parents and local vendors presumably created this concoction in efforts to replicate the American confectionaries. Dalgona thus became a popular street treat.
DALGONA COFFEE
Dalgona coffee was popularised by South Korean actor, Jung II-woo. He tried the drink in Macau, while appearing on a popular tv show. He said, it reminded him of a honeycomb toffee confection that used to be sold outside his school when he was younger. Re-call the brief history lesson.
His nostalgic remark led to the trendy nickname: Dalgona coffee.
Its popularity skyrocketed as South Korean Youtubers posted videos of their own attempts to make the drink. Also nicknamed 'coffee stirred 400 times', videos of people making the beverage is entertaining as it requires swift whisk movements - resulting in sore arms and exhausted expressions. While providing a soothing ASMR experience, the content is also instagrammable for its two-toned aesthetically pleasing layers. It's no surprise then that Dalgona coffee became viral on TikTok, with users making the beverage as part of their Quarantine experience. Indeed, the beverage is also known as the "TikTok" coffee or the "Quarantine coffee." Currently, the hashtag #dalgonacoffee has over 249M views on TikTok.
ORIGIN: DISPUTED & CONTROVERSIAL
One possible origin is Macau, in the very café Jung tried the drink. Former shipbuilder, Leong Kam Hon opened the café in the 90s but learnt how to make the whipped coffee beverage from a foreign couple in the early 2000s. In 2004, a famous actor-Chow Yun-Fat-visited the café and Hon Kee made the drink especially for him. According to a CNN report, "Chow loved it…claiming it tasted better than the coffee he had at his hotel." The actor's reputation attracted more people to the café and the drink was known as "Chow Yun-Fat" coffee for a while.
Claims of the beverage originating from South Korea brewed a backlash on twitter.
The beverage also has roots in Indian and Pakistani culinary traditions but is known by different names. An article by VICE mentions examples including: "pheta (beaten) coffee, phenti hui coffee, phitti hui coffee, hand-beaten coffee, Indian cappuccino…" Social media users were irritated that their cultural innovation was being popularised by another label. An article even noted India's 'gastro-diplomacy', pointing out that India should "pay attention" to how its "culinary traditions have immense potential globally." These reactions may appear dramatic but are justified on the grounds that companies often do benefit from cultural traditions of communities, who gain no monetary benefit themselves.
Take for instance, turmeric lattes by Starbucks. The use of tumeric in drinks is well-known in Indian traditions and some consumers were angry that their cultural innovation was not fully acknowledged. Similarly, social media users point out that Dalgona coffee may end up on a famous café menu and once again their cultural contributions will be overlooked.
Users from other countries are also claiming that the drink originates from their culture. It supposedly bears a similarity to the Greek Nescafé Frappé and is known in Libya as 'cappuccino Libyan style.'
What is clear though, is that Dalgona coffee was popularised during Quarantine. What a story to tell the grandkids.
BUT INSTANT COFFEE...
The ingredients needed to make Dalgona are quite accessible: water, milk, sugar and instant coffee. Yes, instant coffee.
This trend exposed a fact most coffee lovers would find surprising: half the world actually prefers instant coffee (America is an exception). In fact, the Asia Pacific region is actually the world's biggest consumer of instant coffee.
Dalgona coffee isn't popular for being a caffeinated drink as such- most coffee lovers generally prefer strong expresso drinks that accentuate the caffeine content. However, more people are willing to try it as their favourite coffee shops close in response to lockdown guidelines.
A CAFFEINATED MEMOIR
Just as memoirs from the Korean War reminisce over confectionaries brought by American soldiers, our generation has stories about the beverage they made during the 2020 Quarantine: Dalgona coffee.