Squid Game, that notoriously phenomenal Netflix show, introduced new things and resurfaced old ones on our social media feeds. The scary doll, the mysterious costumes and masks, the marbles, and the Dalgona candy, are now much-talked-about.
It is no doubt that the show introduced to non-Koreans many aspects of the country's gaming culture and traditions, albeit in a more mature fashion and in a deadly way. I'll stop here so that I won't reveal anything more. But I think many readers are acquainted with the series or maybe have finished watching it by now.
The Dalgona candy is an interesting item. We've all heard about the Dalgona coffee. It became popular last year when the pandemic first hit, and many were in quarantine. Everybody was concocting Dalgona coffee on YouTube. Coffee shops offered Dalgona coffee flavors on their menu. It was 'Dalgona-this' and 'Dalgona-that!'
Now, the Dalgona candy is in the spotlight! It became the symbol of street smartness and survival when Squid Game introduced it. Did you know that it was once used as a gambling game in the late '90s? Like in the show, the goal was to eat the candy without destroying the shape at the center.
Ppopgi (the Korean term for the Dalgona candy) began in the mid-1950s in South Korea. Following the Korean War, American soldiers would distribute sweets from the U.S. to Korean kids. Eventually, their parents would make their own cheap sweet treats for their children by melting heated sugar and baking soda together to create a honeycomb toffee. History would show that South Korean street vendors began selling these candies.
If you want to create your own Dalgona candy, I stumbled upon this simple recipe.
Curious about the show? Watch it on Netflix. For those who like Dalgona candy, you might not look at it the same way again after you watch Squid Game.
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