Dalgona Coffee Craze

 written by 20814 Park Chaerim

With the spread of COVID-19 in Korea, it has become difficult for people to go outside. The government asked for people to follow the social distancing guidelines in March. People were forced to stay at home and felt bored due to a lack of outdoor activities.

People who spent a lot of time at home started the trend of making dalgona coffee after someone posted a video on YouTube of a Korean actor talking about it.

Actor Jung Ilwoo, who tasted it in a Macau cafe, mentioned on the TV entertainment program Pyunstorang in January. He said that its taste was “similar to the taste of Korean dalgona.” This caused Koreans to call it dalgona coffee.

Many YouTubers in Korea have produced a lot of content using dalgona coffee. Interesting videos were produced using this as an element of fun. There are contents such as making 30 cups of dalgona coffee without a machine, making dalgona chocolate, and how to make this drink more delicious. Making dalgona coffee without a machine takes a considerable amount of time and energy. The shortest time to make this coffee is about 20 minutes.

This coffee has become an official item on the menu at numerous coffee shops around the country. Franchised cafes such as Ediya Coffee and Coffee Bay put this item on their menu. Many local cafes also had dalgona coffee on their menus.

As social distancing rules continue, Koreans spend more time looking for new activities. They overcome the boredom by making, baking, cooking, creating, stirring, and mixing  foods.