In case you are a coffee lover, then maybe you have heard of the internet-trend Dalgona Coffee. The coffee has been going around social media, thanks to a trend started by some coffee lovers. Soon enough, you couldn’t open Instagram and TikTok without seeing at least half a dozen instances of this coffee. It is everywhere you look, with everyone from sweet grandmothers to Hollywood celebrities giving this coffee a whirl. So, what is Dalgona Coffee, and why is it suddenly so popular? Here’s a look at everything you need to know about this drink, and how to make it.
What Is Dalgona Coffee?
I’m sure you must have seen photos of a whipped coffee all over Instagram and TikTok. It looks fluffy, light, and energizing due to all that cream on top. The coffee also looks aesthetically pleasing as it combines the soft hues of Mocha with the purity of white milk. So what exactly is Dalgona Coffee? Essentially, it is a caffeinated beverage, in which milk is topped with a coffee-foam. The form contains coffee beans and sugar, making it both sweet and intense. In many ways, it works like a sort of reverse cappuccino.
What’s So Special About Dalgona Coffee?
The Dalgona Coffee is especially famous on TikTok, with thousands of users from around the world trying out their own variations of the drink. One of the primary reasons why the coffee has gotten is so popular is the fact that it can be easily flavored any way you want. Since it is the foam on top that grants the coffee its taste and flavor, by adding ingredients to the foam, you can vary the flavor of the drink. Therefore, it is effortless to make chocolate, vanilla, and even marshmallow flavored Dalgona Coffee, as shown by users.
Another important factor behind its popularity is that you can make it right at home. While the coffee looks restaurant-quality, making for some great Instagram photos, it doesn’t need any special equipment. Also, it does not require a lot of cooking skill to make. All it requires is a good hand capable of whisking away and some patience. The coffee has only three primary ingredients, and all of them are readily available. Therefore, it doesn’t take much effort to make but tastes and looks great, inspiring more people to test it out.
Thirdly, the timing behind it all. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, most people are stuck at home. Since most people are at home and don’t have a lot of responsibilities, they have more free time to kill. Therefore, more and more people are turning to digital content to keep themselves entertained. When they find something going viral or something interesting, they quickly take over and try to replicate it. While a large portion of the people is spending their time binge-watching different series on Netflix and Prime, a few are trying their hand at cooking.
This is one of the biggest reasons for the success of Dalgona Coffee. Also, since everybody is at home, they are running out of content to post on their social media. That is why, in the last few weeks, there have been thousands of posts on this coffee. It allows people to light up their Instagram and TikTok pages with something unique and exciting.
How Did Dalgona Coffee Get So Popular?
The drink originated from a region near India and Pakistan. In these regions, in the past, the coffee was known by the name whipped or beaten coffee. However, it was not nearly as popular as it is now, thanks to social media platforms. The first spike in popularity came as a result of a Korean TV show named Pyunstorang, way back in January. The show’s actor, Jung Il-Woo, travels to Macau and tries this drink in one of their episodes. He also goes on to name it Dalgona as it closely resembles a Korean sweet or sponge candy of the same name. Since then, the trend caught on in TikTok, with a lot of Koreans posting videos of themselves trying to make the copy. Soon, the trend spread to YouTube and Instagram, and soon enough, everyone was whisking away in their kitchens!
How To Make Dalgona Coffee
Now that you know everything about the Dalgona Coffee trend, here’s a look at how to whip up a batch of your own!
- Mix together equal portions of hot water, granulated sugar, and instant coffee powder.
- To make one serving, you will need two tablespoons of each.
- Now, whisk the mixture using either a stand or hand mixer.
- You can also use a baking whisk if you have one lying around in your kitchen.
- Whip it for ten to fifteen minutes or until the mixture turns thick, frothy and fluffy.
- Once you’re happy with the texture, keep it aside
- Take a glass and pour some milk into it
- In case you want a cold Dalgona, add a few ice cubes to the milk
- Lastly, top the milk with the whipped mix that you have kept aside
- Don’t forget to add a pinch of coffee powder on top, and click away to amaze your Instagram followers!
- After you are done with the photo, mix the layers up, and then drink your very own Dalgona Coffee brew.
Tips For Making Dalgona Coffee
- It might take somewhere around 400 whisks to get the frothy texture, giving it the name 400 Coffee, so don’t give up in between.
- In case you want to add some crunch to your coffee, you can top the froth with a few pieces of Oreo biscuits to give it some added texture.
- Other flavor variations you can try include adding some vanilla extract to the froth mix, to produce a light and airy vanilla flour.
- You could also top the foam with cocoa powder and chocolate crumbs if you like Mocha.
- In case you are on a keto diet, you can try to make this without sugar. However, while it does become frothy when you whisk it, the fluffy texture doesn’t last too long, so make sure you gulp it down. You can also try out monk fruit sweeteners and other sugar replacements if you do not want to use granulated sugar.
There you go! That’s all it takes to make the sensational coffee that has everyone showing off their skills on Instagram. Dubbed a Quarantine Food, Dalgona Coffee is quickly becoming the most searched and shared content on the internet. While it has been around for decades, the pandemic has brought it into the limelight. Due to the sudden urge for everyone to cook, the trend might last a while. Make most of this quarantine, and take some time off to whip up your glass of Dalgona Coffee.
