Warning: The following story divulges some plot information for episode 3 of the TV series "Squid Game."
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Dalgona candy is wildly popular due to its prominent appearance in the South Korean TV series "Squid Game," so recipes have started to surface on how to make the crunchy cookies.
In the third episode of the survival drama, players are tasked with trying to carve out shapes from an outline in a kind of Korean, brittle honeycomb toffee candy. They must carefully follow the outline of the shapes without breaking the candies within 10 minutes or face immediate execution.
In real life, the Korean game is known as Ppopgi, which means "to pick" and was popular in South Korea in the 1960s and 1970s and is now suddenly seeing a revival due to the show. The game is played with a Korean honeycomb cookie called Dalgona, which was typically sold by street vendors, while children who could successfully complete the challenge could sometimes win a second one free.
Since the debut of the show last month, the game has gone viral on social media with people trying to complete the Dalgona Candy Challenge or Squid Game Candy Challenge within 10 minutes. According to Honest Food Talks, the ingredients and method to make traditional Korean candy are actually quite simple.
Ingredients for one serving
Just 1.5 tablespoons of sugar and one-sixteenth teaspoon of baking soda. It is recommended that the sugar used is the fine granulated variety, which is easier to melt.
As for the baking soda, only "a pinch" is needed, but it is an essential ingredient.
Equipment
One ladle, one wooden chopstick, one silicone mat, one hotcake press, Korean pancake Hotteok press, and cookie cutters of choice.
Process
The method to make Dalgona candy can be distilled into five steps and will only take five minutes:
- Caramelize the sugar
- Add the baking soda and mix well
- Pour the mixture onto a silicone mat
- Use a press to make sure it has a flat, even surface
- Use a cookie cutter to make a shape in the center
After allowing the cookie to cool, it is ready to be eaten or entered into the Squid Game Candy Challenge.
The following is a step-by-step illustration on how to make Dalgona candy:
(Honest Food Talks image)
