How to make sugar honeycomb in Squid Game Dalgona – prepare your dalgona candy in just 5 easy steps at home.
If you are into Korean series, you might already know about the new Netflix show ‘Squid game’, right? This is undoubtedly a great show to learn about Korean traditional games and activities! But one of the games that seemed to caught everyone’s attention, was the ‘Honeycomb game’. Which we saw in episode 3.
Well, that is actually known as Dalgona. A traditional candy that you can easily make at your home! So if you are interested to ride this trend, check this article to learn how to make Dalgona just like in Squid Game!
First, it was dalgona coffee (remember those “circuit breaker” days?). Now, thanks to the hit South Korean drama Squid Game, it’s dalgona candy.
Immortalised as the high-stakes children’s game in the third episode, the brittle honeycomb thins were given out to the participants in the show, who had to pick shapes out of their dalgona candy with needles. Break the shape and there were no sweet endings for them.
In real life, those who succeed in picking out the shapes get rewarded with another wafer-thin honeycomb by the vendor. And since the little game involves using a toothpick, the candy is also known as ppopgi, meaning to pick.
The confectionery is traditionally sold as street food in South Korea, much like how biscuit piring (yup, those wafer-thin treats in yellow, pink, and green) is sold at our pasar malam. (Maybe someone should start a game with that.)
Naturally, kits for making dalgona candy have been flying off online shopping portals and the prices can range from less than S$5 to S$28.
But it is a recipe consisting of just white sugar (the kind you add to coffee) and a pinch of baking soda. It is so simple that the grumpy feline chef @thatlittlepuff on Instagram is also in on the game.
Before we proceed on the steps to preparing the trending candy in Squid Game, let us learn one thing or a two before.
What is Dalgona?
Dalgona is a candy that was popular among children in the 1960s~1970s. Made out of white sugar. Which is poured on a small pan and melted over briquettes. To then be stirred with baking soda.
Even though it has been a long time since this was the preferred candy of everyone, it is still possible to make it at some street snack stalls in South Korea.
Dalgona as a gambling game?
Back in the old days ㅡ around the 90s ㅡ, making dalgona was in fact considered a ’gambling’ game. And to participate, you needed to pay between 50-100₩ for one chance. If you get to cut the shape perfectly, you could win around 300-500₩. Of course, you could eat the edges as long as you do not destroy the shape that is on the center.
A popular method to win this game was applying saliva to the needle. In order to extract it safely. Fortunately, there was no punishment for losing the game.
The only loss would be those 50-100₩.
Very interesting, right? Taking into consideration that the participants of ‘Squid game’ were people addicted to gambling, this dalgona game indeed fits perfectly.
How to Make Dalgona?
To prepare/make your own Dalgona at home, you need the ingredients below:
- Two tablespoons of sugar
- A pinch of baking soda
- The smallest, non-stick pan you have
- A pair of chopsticks (preferably wood or other materials that don’t melt)
- Glass jar with flat bottom
- Cookie cutter of your preferred shape
- A sheet of baking paper
As for the tools, you can readily find them in your kitchen. Here’s what you need to make a dalgona candy:
1. Turn the stove on and use the lowest flame
It is important to lower your stove or any source of fire because you don’t want to burn the sugar. Place your pan above the stove and leave it to heat for a minute. Make sure you pay attention to yourself and don’t burn your house.
2. Add two drops of Sugar to the already heated pan on the stove
Place the sugar in the non-stick pan and heat it. Tilt the pan at an angle (and keep it there) so that the sugar pools in a small area instead of spreading out over the pan.
You just need to wait for 1 minute paying attention to the edges. After waiting for 1 minute, you need to make lines towards the center. Until it starts to melt.
3. Stir with the chopsticks and keep stirring as the sugar melts.
Let the melted sugar turn a milk coffee color (the darker the color, the more bitter it is). You can adjust the heat by lifting the pan or bringing it back to the fire.
When it is finally melting, you just need to stir in circles.
If it is not fully melted yet, you can poke the little sugar mountains to disintegrate them.
4) Add baking soda
Once all the sugar has melted, remove the pan from the fire. Immediately add a pinch of baking soda and stir constantly.
You need to add just a little bit of baking soda. Be careful with this! You cannot put a lot. Because if you do so, the taste will not be good.
The mixture’s color will lighten. Make sure all the baking soda dissolves and there are no lumps. You will know if you put the right amount of baking soda if it takes the color of caramel.
5. Pour the mixture onto the baking paper.
Wait for about 10 seconds, then place the jar on the mixture and gently press it down to flatten it. Don’t press too hard because you still want to retain some thickness for the cookie cutter.
6. Remove the jar and quickly press down with the cookie cutter.
Let it cool and harden. You’re now ready to play Squid Game. Minus the part where you get killed.
7. Pick your favorite shape!
Don’t worry! This is of course not Squid Game. So you will be able to pick any shape that you want. Even more than one! You are completely safe… who knows?
After that, you are ready to go! They will ask you whether you want to eat it there. Or if you want it as ‘take out. If so, they will wrap it on plastic and decorate it with a cute ribbon. Perfect for a gift!
You can also turn your candy into a lollipop to get any shape Squid Game Dalgona.
After following those steps, it is now time to turn it into a lollipop! Which is one of the ways you can in fact eat this famous candy.
The staff will then bring it to this cold recipient. Where he will pour the mix and add a thin stick to turn it into a lollipop. Before stamping your favorite shape!
Watch the full video here:
About Squid Game
Squid Game is absolutely worth watching if you can stand all the violence and tragedy. As much as it’s a show about people competing in a deadly, real-life version of Fall Guys (basically) it’s also a cautionary tale about the many terrible ways that money—whether you have too much or too little—can ruin lives.
Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes. A survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake.
Netflix‘s South Korean dystopian drama “Squid Game” has taken the world by storm since its premiere on September 17.
A few days after its release, it ranked No. 1 in the US and it’s on track to become the streaming service’s most-watched show of all time.
Squid Game Storyline
A story of people who fail at life for various reasons, but suddenly receive a mysterious invitation to participate in a survival game to win more than 38 million US dollars. The game takes place at an unknown location and the participants are locked up until there is a final winner. The story will incorporate popular children’s games from the 1970s and 1980s of Korea, such as squid game, the literal translation of its Korean name, which is a type of tag where offense and defense use a squid-shaped board drawn in the dirt.
