Dalgona Coffee: The Complete Guide & Recipe (2021)
This is a complete guide that contains all you need to know about Dalgona coffee.
If you love coffee, you've probably heard of Dalgona coffee and if you haven't heard of it well this guide will make you crave this delicious fluffy coffee!
This is a complete guide on Dalgona coffee, from origin to recipe to the perfect coffee grind to use.
So if you want to whip up tasty, fluffy Dalgona coffee, this guide is for you.
Well let's dive in!
What Is Dalgona Coffee?
Dalgona coffee is easy on the eye fluffy caffeinated confection. It is a whipped, frothy and fluffy drink made with instant coffee, sugar, milk, and water.
It has two different layers, one is iced milk, and the other whipped coffee cream which sits on the iced milk.
Dalgona coffee is also known as fluffy coffee, whipped coffee, etc.
Origin Of Dalgona Coffee
Dalgona coffee is named after a type of "spongy coffee candy" in South Korea. This is because of the resemblance it bears to this piece of confectionery both in taste and appearance.
This is the main factor that attests to its name because when South Korean actor Jung Il-Woo made the order in Macau he likened it to Dalgona.
Fun fact: most Dalgona coffees do not even contain Dalgona so it's more about the taste and feel than the ingredient.
This drink has been nicknamed the quarantine coffee world wide because it became popular during social distancing in South Korea.
The hype began when a South Korean actor made an order of whipped coffee at an eatery in Macau. Jung Il-woo likened the taste of the drink to that of dalgona (Korean honeycomb toffee)
While the certain hype on the internet was caused by this drink rooted in South Korea there has been proved to show that it is not a new concept.
Dalgona coffee is similar to beaten coffee which is from India this is because of the similar recipe the only difference is that the beaten coffee is served with hot milk, salt, and some spices.
Dalgona coffee is also similar to Frappé coffee in Greece which requires you to shake the ingredients together to create fluffy coffee cream which is then served over crushed ice.
In Libya, the dalgona coffee is similar to "cappuccino Libyan style"
Dalgona Coffee Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp instant coffee
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp hot water
- ½ cup of ice
- 1 cup cow's or alternative plant-based milk
Procedure:
- Mix instant coffee and sugar first then add water and move on to the next step.
- Whisk: Whisk the mixture until it becomes fluffy and light, this usually takes 3 to 5 minutes. But if you're using an electric or stand mixer within 1 to 2 minutes your mixture will become creamy, light, and fluffy.
- Scoop the Dalgona coffee cream into a glass of 1 cup of milk and an ice cube.
For the perfect result use two thirds of milk and one third of Dalgona Coffee cream on the top.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Recipe:
Can I use ground coffee?
It is not possible to use ground coffee to produce Dalgona coffee.
Instant coffee is not just ground coffee it's a coffee bean that has been roasted, ground, and brewed. Water is removed from the brewed coffee which turns it into dehydrated crystals.
The recipe only works with instant coffee because to create that frothiness you need emulsifiers (soy lecithin) and this is added during the dehydration process of making instant coffee.
Do I have to use sugar?
Sugar helps not only with taste but to whip the coffee into foamy, airy goodness.
Without the sugar, even though the creamy coffee does end up looking a bit fluffy it doesn't turn out as well as it would with sugar.
So it's best to use sugar but if you want to you can reduce the amount of sugar if you're not a lover of sugar.
What kind of sugar can be used for Dalgona coffee?
You can use any kind of sugar for the Dalgona coffee but here's the issue, the coffee doesn't whip up as it would with white granulated sugar.
This is because other types of sugar contain more moisture than white sugar hence making it heavier.
How to store Dalgona coffee?
Normally, whipped coffee can remain fluffy for a few hours if it's kept in a refrigerator.
Store the whipped cream in an airtight container and refrigerate this would increase its lifeline but it can't last more than a week.
However, after three days, it starts to turn liquid so you would have to whisk it again before using it.
There are various reasons as to why this recipe might not work for you, some of these reasons are:-
- Usage of water that's not freshly boiled. It is necessary to use freshly boiled water because the hotter the water the better.
- Failure to mix the mixture till it thickens. Keep mixing the mixture even after it's passed the proposed time until it thickens and looks fluffy.
Dalgona coffee is easy to make and delicious. While the recipes are flexible this one isn't, this doesn't mean you can't substitute some of the ingredients for others. It just with substitution comes to a reduction in taste, flavour, and fluffiness.