Dalgona Coffee
If quarantine had a flavor, it would be creamy, sweet, and just a bit buzzy—like dalgona coffee.
If quarantine had a flavor, it would be creamy, sweet, and just a bit buzzy—like dalgona coffee. Whipped into existence by boredom, nostalgia, and social media, this frothy drink became the unofficial beverage of lockdown. Simple to make, beautiful to photograph, and oddly satisfying to whisk, dalgona coffee surged from a viral trend to a global comfort ritual.
You don’t just scroll past dalgona coffee. With its golden peaks perched over icy milk, it looks like a coffeehouse masterpiece—except it’s made in your kitchen, with just three ingredients and a whisk (or a lot of arm strength). For many stuck at home during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, dalgona offered more than caffeine. It was a project, a performance, and a tiny rebellion against monotony.
Thousands took up the challenge—literally. Whisking instant coffee, sugar, and hot water into silky peaks became a mini workout dubbed the “dalgona arm.” Instagram and TikTok exploded with videos of the transformation, tagged with #dalgonacoffee or its Korean counterpart, #달고나커피. By March 2020, over 200,000 Instagram posts had already showcased the trend, and more were brewing every day.
But where did this frothy fascination come from?
Dalgona coffee owes its name to a nostalgic South Korean treat: a honeycomb-style toffee candy called dalgona. Actor Jung Il-woo helped spark the craze when he tried a similar whipped coffee on a TV show in Macau. The taste reminded him of the candy from his childhood, and when South Korean audiences saw his reaction, they embraced the drink with enthusiasm. The timing was perfect—coffee shops were closed due to lockdowns, and people craved both connection and caffeine.
Interestingly, the technique isn’t entirely new. In Portugal, home cooks have been whipping instant coffee for decades. Italians enjoy a similar creamy treat called crema di caffè after meals. But dalgona, with its viral visuals and pandemic timing, struck a global chord.
How to Make Dalgona Coffee at Home
All you need is:
– 3 teaspoons of instant coffee
– 3 teaspoons of granulated sugar
– 3 teaspoons of hot water
– Ice cubes
– Your favorite milk (dairy or plant-based)
1. In a bowl, combine equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water.
2. Whisk vigorously by hand—or use an electric mixer—until the mixture turns pale, thick, and forms soft peaks. This takes 5–10 minutes by hand, but only a couple with a mixer.
3. Fill a glass with ice and milk.
4. Spoon the whipped coffee mixture on top.
5. Snap a picture. Post it. Stir. Sip. Enjoy.
If you use a mixer, consider scaling up the recipe. You can store the whipped coffee (sometimes nicknamed “crema de café”) in the fridge for up to a week. Just spoon it over milk whenever the craving hits—but be warned, it’s tempting to eat straight from the bowl.
Dalgona coffee became more than a drink. It was a shared ritual during a time of distance, a small way to connect with millions through foam and filters. It’s proof that sometimes, in the stillness of lockdown, even a spoonful of instant coffee can spark joy.
