If you are continuously scrolling through Instagram, Facebook or Tiktok, there is a good chance that you have seen someone making a dalgona coffee.
Making dalgona coffee will require you to whip together the following ingredients: sugar, instant coffee, and boiling water. The end mixture is spooned over iced milk to create the foamy drink.
According to Google Trends, dalgona coffee became the most searched keyword relating to coffee worldwide. It overtook the previous highest peaks for all other kinds of coffee searches in the past year.
The Google searches worldwide for dalgona increases by 1,800% in mid-March and grew further by 1,700% around mid-April.
So what is dalgona coffee and why it became popular all of a sudden?
What is Dalgona Coffee?
Dalgona coffee, or whipped coffee, is a frothy drink made with instant coffee, sugar, water, and milk. It has two distinct layers of whipped coffee cream sitting on top of chilled milk. It is a way to make a coffee-style drink with the very cheapest instant coffee and basic household ingredients. Many people know this drink by its other names like frothy coffee and fluffy coffee.
The dalgona coffee trend originated in South Korea in February 2020. They started whipping their own coffee at home to replace their typical coffee shop routines. Along the way, many people shared tutorials and their personal take on this coffee trend. These videos were a hit and spread across social media platforms with the hashtags #dalgonacoffee and #quarantinecoffee. One of the first dalgona coffee tutorials on YouTube now has over eight million views.
By March, the trend arrived in Australia and other parts of the United States.
Dalgona coffee gets its name from dalgona, which is a sugary and frothy candy from South Korea. It’s similar to the honeycomb you can find in a violet crumble or a crunchie. It is known for its bubbly texture and surface. The candy itself is very similar to the texture of dalgona coffee foam found against the side of a glass.
Interested in making a dalgona coffee? Here is a simple step-by-step recipe that you can follow to make dalgona coffee at home or anywhere.
Dalgona Coffee Ingredients
Here are the items to add to your shopping list to make a dalgona coffee recipe:
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoons of boiling water
- Ice cubes as required
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups of cold milk
You will at least 2 tablespoons of instant coffee for starters. Instant coffee is the key to dalgona coffee recipe and you cannot use ground coffee or pre-ground coffee. Fancy ground coffee won’t work no matter how finely you grind it.
Contrary to many people’s belief, instant coffee and ground coffee are two different things.
There are several differences between the two but the most important thing is ground coffee has not been brewed. It is just ground-up coffee beans. Instant coffee, on the other hand, is made from coffee beans that have already been brewed and dehydrated
For alternatives, you can use instant espresso for your dalgona coffee variation and it will work like a charm. However, please note that instant espresso tends to be stronger than instant coffee. You may want to split or tweak the recipe a bit to reduce the drink’s overall intensity.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Dalgona Coffee
It is super easy to make a dalgona coffee. All you need to do is follow the next steps.
Step 1: Prepare Coffee Mixtures
To start, take a medium-sized bowl and mix equal quantities of coffee powder, sugar, and hot water. Combine all key ingredients together. The estimate prep time for this is at least one minute.
If you are using a stand or electric mixer to whisk the ingredients together, combine them in the mixer bowl. Start with combining the dry ingredients (instant coffee and sugar) then add the hot water for best results. Once you complete this, immediately proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Beat the Coffee Mixture Using an Electric Whisker or Hand Blender
Whisk the instant coffee, sugar, and boiling water together in a bowl. Do this for approximately five minutes. Make sure that the end mixture is thick and fluffy. The easiest way to do whisking is by using an electric mixer but it can also be done by hand.
Whatever method you use, blend the coffee mixture until it becomes light, frothy, and creamy. Whisking requires a whole lot of patience as this might take a good amount of time.
If you are using a stand or electric mixer, the ingredients will easily whip in about one to two minutes. If you are doing the whisking by hand, it will likely take you longer. The whisking by hand may take about five minutes, or more depending on your technique.
In either whisking method, the longer and more strongly you whisk the mixture, the fluffier and airier the end result will be.
Step 3: Prepare the Dalgona Coffee
Prepare two glasses or coffee mugs. The number of ice cubes you then add depends on how cold you want your drink to be. Pour cold milk in the glass and add the whipped coffee foam over it. Serve it chilled.
If you prefer hot coffee, heat the milk for a couple of minutes and pour it into two heatproof glasses. Divide the whipped coffee mixture in half and spoon it evenly on top of the glasses. Serve and stir it thoroughly before drinking.
Barista Tips:
- The first rule of dalgona Coffee is the use of high-quality coffee powder. The end result will mostly depend on the richness of the coffee powder.
- Depending on your taste preference, you can use condensed milk or sugar to add sweetness.
- It is best to store your whipped coffee in an air-tight container to retain its flavor and richness.
Dalgona coffee is a pretty straightforward drink and has been around for a while. Learn more tips on making dalgona and other coffee varieties by taking a barista course with a Registered Training Provider.
