Dalgona Coffee

This week, I try my hand at two Asian sweets which were super popular on social media last year (2020), but also came back up this year (2021) due to the popularity of “Squid Game” on Netflix: Korean dalgona coffee and Japanese karumeyaki (カルメ焼き). Doing these recipes this week has been a nerdy foodie’s dream: food plus science? Totally up my alley, so I just had to try my hand at making some.

Once you’ve mastered making the traditional dalgona candy you see on the show, daltons coffee is a “spin-off” recipes you can try at home. If you’re sensitive to sugar, you can use a granulated sugar substitute in this recipe; and if you’re sensitive to caffeine andwant to try this? Try decaf instant coffee crystals. I tried making this with the normal stuff and now I can basically “hear” colors. I’m not sure when I’ll sleep again; it’s definitely a LOT of caffeine!

Part 2 is karumeyaki…stay tuned…that one’s definitely harder to make…

For other Japanese desserts (wagashi), try my Kohakuto (edible gems), Karumeyaki (puffed caramels), or Mizu Manju & Warabi Mochi (perfect for summer) 🙂

Ingredients

• Hot water
• White Granulated Sugar (or granulated sugar substitute of choice, such as Swerve)
• Instant / Freeze-Dried Coffee (full caffeine or decaf)
• Glass of ice
• Milk of choice
• Straw
• Broken dalgona or karumeyaki pieces (optional)

Directions

In a tall glass or mixing container, put 2 Tblsp instant coffee (caffeinated or decaf), 2 Tblsp sugar (or granulated sugar substitute), and 2 Tblsp hot water (boiling preferred). Whip using a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.

Pour milk of choice into a glass of ice, then mound the coffee “meringue” on top of the milk. Garnish with broken dalgona or karumeyaki pieces, and stir with a straw before drinking. The longer you let this sit / the more you stir, the more the coffee foam will melt into the milk to create a coffee-ice-cream-like treat that’ll keep you going all day!