If you spend any amount of time on social media, you will notice that the platforms encourage people to try out viral food and drink trends and create their own takes on them. This is something that you can do if you spend any amount of time on social media. Certain drinks get widespread notoriety due to the singular look of the drinks and the ease with which anybody may duplicate the drinks at home.
Lee este artículo en español Explorando la Moda Del Café Dalgona
This has helped pave the way for a rebirth of a handmade whipped coffee beverage called Dalgona Coffee in South Korea. The beverage is called Dalgona Coffee. A current Google search query on Dalgona Coffee recipes will bring up more than eight million results. This is likely due to the fact that the beverage has a distinctive frothy look, which has contributed to its popularity on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
The origin of the beverage, how it achieves its distinctive look, and how the specialty coffee market is responding to it are all covered in this article.
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Credit: Sushma Achnath
Who Invented Dalgona Coffee?
In countries such as Macau and India, where it has been consumed for several years and is better known as Phenty Hui Coffee, whipped coffee, or an Indian-style Cappuccino, the popularity of Dalgona Coffee has significantly increased this year. However, it has been enjoyed for several years in other countries, such as Macau. According to the rumour that started it all, the drink got its new name because the honeycomb-like structure of the whipped foam that topped it reminded people of a famous candy in South Korea called Dalgona. Dalgona is a honeycomb candy that is prepared by combining sugar, oil, and baking soda.
The sequence in which the components of both drinks are combined is one of the most significant aspects that differentiates Dalgona Coffee from its Indian ancestor. A bowl containing equal parts coffee, sugar, and hot water is used in the preparation of Phenti Hui Coffee. The liquid is whipped with a whisk until the sugar dissolves and a froth of a light colour is produced. After this step is finished, a little bit more water is poured here and there until a sufficient volume of foam is produced. After that, the foam is put into a cup, which is then filled with hot water and milk and finished off by having its flavour adjusted.
The foam mixture for Dalgona Coffee is often spooned on top of a cup that has been filled with iced milk and ice cubes. This creates an appealing layered appearance as well as a refreshing beverage. Other variations have also been developed, such as flavouring and colouring the foam, stacking the foam over flavoured milk, adding alcohol to the mixture, or flavouring and colouring the foam.
According to a video that was created by James Hoffmann on the subject, the melanoidin compounds that are present in instant coffee are the same compounds that are responsible for creating the crema that is found in an espresso. These melanoidin compounds give Dalgona Coffee foam its thick and long-lasting qualities. By combining the instant coffee with a viscous and concentrated sugar and water solution, the foam is better able to hold its shape. Additionally, the intensive whipping that is required to produce the foam creates fine air bubbles that allow it to float on the surface of a drink without dissipating.
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What do Specialty Coffee Professionals Think?
When it comes to comments on Dalgona Coffee, people who work in the specialty coffee sector have a variety of different points of view. Some people, like Vanessa Lee, have the opinion that it might serve as a model for the creation of additional drinks based on coffee.
Forbidden Bean is a speciality coffee consultancy in Hong Kong, and Vanessa Lee works there as a Café Consultant for the company. She recommends giving Dalgona Coffee a try, stating that it is “worth your time” and “a terrific idea for creative beverages.” She goes on to say that it is “a good inspiration for a barista to explore the possibilities of creating different textures of coffee itself (rather than playing with milk or syrup all the time)” and that it is a good example “of how the market is responding to an Instagrammable drink [rather] than a well-tasting drink,” which is something that “I think this is a lesson all café owners and baristas should keep in mind.”
Some people believe that the quality of the drink might be affected by the components that are used to make it. James Hoffmann explains in the video he made about Dalgona Coffee that a significant part of the attraction of the beverage is that it is so straightforward. It is important to keep in mind that this is only a way of preparation, and that “what you get out of it is as good as what you put into it.”
Creating a Specialty Version of Dalgona Coffee
Because Dalgona Coffee is becoming more popular among coffee lovers all over the globe, it is only logical that the specialty coffee business would be interested in determining whether or not it is possible to recreate the beverage with speciality coffee. Having said that, this does provide its own unique set of difficulties.
The act of drawing a shot of espresso may seem to be the most straightforward remedy; yet, according to James Hoffman, a typical shot will still be overly watered down. He goes on to say that attempting to lower it by applying heat might cause unpleasant flavours to be released into the shot, and that drawing the espresso shot through a chamber vacuum would lessen its volume, but there is a danger of losing some of the aromatic qualities of the espresso.
The manual brewing process may provide superior results, if not exactly the same item overall. Coffee is roasted at The Space Roastery, which has its headquarters in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. They have developed a recipe for a beverage that entails brewing one part freshly ground roasted coffee in an AeroPress with two parts hot water. This version of the beverage is their own creation. They then pour this concoction into a water bottle, along with one part sugar, and shake the bottle violently for ten minutes in order to produce a froth that is similar to Dalgona.
A manual brew bar in New Zealand called Pour & Twist utilises a process quite similar to this one. They suggest using beans of a single provenance that have been finely crushed and gently roasted before adding water to an AeroPress. In a separate bowl, whisk the cold fresh cream and maple syrup to a medium peak. Then, in the same bowl, slowly add the coffee mixture, spoonful by spoonful, since the acids in the coffee will cause the mixture to separate. They warn that owing to the product’s richness, it is not one that is suitable for drinking on a daily basis, despite the fact that it is undeniably wonderful.
It might seem that manually brewing coffee may provide a beverage that is quite similar to Dalgona Coffee; however, the foam that is produced by this method may lack the glossy texture and firmness of the foam that is produced by using instant coffee.
Due to the one-of-a-kind nature of the events that led to Dalgona Coffee’s rise to fame, it is difficult to predict the brand’s continued success in the coffee industry.
Although it is best prepared with instant coffee and doesn’t give much opportunity for experimenting with speciality coffee, it is an imaginative approach for coffee aficionados to sustain their interest in the beverage during times when it may not be feasible for them to visit their local coffee shop or roaster.
It is not suggested to use freshly brewed filter coffee to produce Dalgona Coffee. Likewise, we do not urge you to replace your daily filter coffee or espresso of choice with Dalgona Coffee. Instead, think of it as a lighthearted dish that you may want to test out once or twice if you find yourself with some spare time, simply to get an idea of what all the hubbub is about.