Dalgona Coffee Is The Trend To Try At Home

We’re a global community of coffee drinkers. The coffee industry is worth over $100 billion worldwide, and the drink is often ranked third most popular in the world, after water and tea. We all have our favourite order, whether it be a flat white, oat latte, Frappuccino or americano, but now a new caffeine trend is sweeping the internet, and it requires only a few kitchen basics. Enter dalgona coffee.

Dalgona coffee has become the new caffeine obsession

In South Korea, a sugar-laden mix called dalgona (or ppopgi in Korean) has been a national favourite since it was dreamt up after the Korean war in the early 1950s. Made with melted sugar, it literally means “honeycomb toffee” and it’s a treat the Korean community have enjoyed from street food vendors (by itself) and in cafés (added to coffee and teas) for decades.

Now, this local recipe has made its way into viral territory, thanks to South Korean actor Jung Il-woo, who broadcast himself making his version of dalgona coffee from home. TikTokkers got a whiff, and, well, the rest is history. Dalgona coffee quickly became the trendy new caffeinated confection.

Like the best things in life, it’s a simple concoction: instant coffee, sugar, hot water and milk are the main components. The instant coffee and water part sound pretty unremarkable (two tablespoons of both), but it’s what comes next that makes this viral trend worth trying.

Making dalgona coffee involves a lot of whisking

Add two tablespoons of sugar to the mixture and get whisking – an electric handheld mixer is your friend here, but your standard hand whisk will also work, just with a little more effort. Some say the latter takes about eight minutes, while others have said it can take 15 minutes before you reach the creamy mousse-like consistency you’re after. Once this process is complete, simply pop the mixture on top of either hot or cold milk and you’re ready to sip.

Once you’ve mastered the art and the camera angles (the hardest part), download TikTok and get tagging your #dalgonacoffeechallenge. The next thing to do is start planning a trip to Seoul post-Covid-19 to taste the real deal.

Get the perfect shot for social media once you’ve made your own dalgona coffee at home

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.