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Dalgona coffee, also known as hand beaten coffee, is a beverage originating from
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made by whipping equal parts
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powder, sugar, and hot water until it becomes creamy and then adding it to cold or hot milk. Occasionally, it is topped with coffee powder, cocoa, crumbled biscuits, or honey. It was popularized on social media during the
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, when people refraining from going out started making videos of whipping the coffee at home, by hand without using electrical mixers. After the drink spread to South Korea, it was renamed "dalgona coffee" which is derived from ''
dalgona ''Dalgona'' () or ''ppopgi'' () is a Korean candy made with melted sugar and baking soda originating from South Korea. It is a popular street snack from the 1960s, and is still eaten as a retro food. When a pinch of baking soda is mixed into mel ...
'', a Korean sugar candy, due to the resemblance in taste and appearance, though most dalgona coffee does not actually contain ''dalgona''.


History


Creation and naming

The drink is credited to Leong Kam Hon, a former Macanese
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who started his 'Wai Ting Coffee' (later renamed 'Hon Kee', ) shop in
Coloane Coloane ( Chinese: 路環, Portuguese: ''Coloane'') is the southernmost area in Macau, connected to Taipa through the area known as Cotai, which is largely built from reclaimed land. Known as “''Lou Wan''” in Cantonese, Coloane forms the sou ...
after a freak accident to his left arm left him incapacitated from continuing work. Leong recalls concocting the drink as requested by a tourist couple in 1997. The drink did not yield much interest to him until 2004 when he took on the idea to serve it as a specialty to
Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility, encompassing action to melodrama and comedy and historical drama, his accolades include three Hong Kong Film Awar ...
and his entourage who visited the Hon Kee café that year. Chow's praise for the drink gathered the first wave of international attention when new visitors came in to ask for 'Chow Yun-fat coffee'. The maker himself dubs the drink made in his menu as or "hand beaten coffee". The name "dalgona coffee" is credited to the South Korean actor
Jung Il-woo Jung Il-woo (; born 9 September 1987) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcom '' Unstoppable High Kick'' (2006), and the television dramas '' The Return of Iljimae'' (2009), '' 49 Days'' (2011), '' Cool Guys, Hot ...
, who ordered this drink at the same eatery in January 2020 during his appearance on TV show called '' Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant''. He likened the taste to that of ''
dalgona ''Dalgona'' () or ''ppopgi'' () is a Korean candy made with melted sugar and baking soda originating from South Korea. It is a popular street snack from the 1960s, and is still eaten as a retro food. When a pinch of baking soda is mixed into mel ...
'', a type of Korean
honeycomb toffee Honeycomb toffee, honeycomb candy, sponge toffee, cinder toffee, seafoam, or hokey pokey is a sugary toffee with a light, rigid, sponge-like texture. Its main ingredients are typically brown sugar (or corn syrup, molasses or golden syrup) and bak ...
.


Spread from South Korea

Following the broadcast of that TV programme, dalgona coffee became popular among Koreans who attempted to make this drink for themselves during the social distancing orders in South Korea. As a result, it was dubbed the "quarantine drink" or "quarantine coffee". Under the hashtag #dalgonacoffeechallenge, homemade versions of dalgona coffee began spreading on South Korean
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channels before going viral on
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especially in early March of the same year. The spike in interest during the quarantine period has been attributed to the calming, ASMR-like effects of watching online DIY videos. Although the beverage was popularized as a homemade version of whipped coffee, it became a menu item at many coffee shops in South Korea. and even in the U.S. While most dalgona coffee does not actually contain ''dalgona'', one South Korean cafe does combine ''dalgona'' with milk tea or coffee. It is not possible to make dalgona coffee using ground coffee beans; instant coffee creates the dense and foamy topping and the reason for this has much to do with the drying process of the coffee granules.


Similar drinks

The drink is also similar to the Italian dessert drink "Crema di Caffe" except with the omission of dairy product. Several media outlets have noted the drink's similarity to the Indian coffee beverage known as ''phenti hui'' coffee, ''phitti hui'' coffee, or beaten coffee. The main difference is that when making ''phenti hui'' coffee, milk is poured on top of the whipped mix rather than spooning the whipped mix on top of the milk. The coffee beverage is similar to the Frappé coffee (or Greek Frappe or φραπέ) originating in Greece in 1957, which is either hand shaken or whipped with a frothing mixer and is traditionally served cold but also may be prepared hot.


See also

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References


External links

*
Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant: Ilwoo's Mukbang at Macau
(13 January 2020). ''KBS World'' via YouTube - the broadcast featuring Leong Kam Hon demonstrating the skill of making the drink himself {{Coffee, nocat=1 Coffee drinks Coffee in South Korea Macanese cuisine South Korean drinks Sweet drinks 2020 neologisms COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea