Dalgona Coffee was pandemic’s first viral food trend—whipped instant coffee, sugar, and water creating fluffy topping for milk. Named after Korean honeycomb candy, it exploded globally (March-April 2020) as quarantined people sought easy, photogenic activities, causing instant coffee shortages before fading once lockdowns ended and novelty wore off.
The Recipe
Simple ingredients:
- Equal parts instant coffee, sugar, hot water
- Whip until fluffy (hand mixer or 400+ whisk strokes)
- Spoon over milk/ice
- Instagram-worthy aesthetic
Pandemic Timing
Why it exploded:
- Quarantine boredom
- No special equipment needed
- Instant coffee in pantries
- Photogenic results
- Shared lockdown experience
Korean Origins
Cultural background:
- Named after dalgona (Korean candy)
- Similar to Greek frappé
- Korean actor Jung Il-woo’s 2020 show featured it
- Went viral in Korea first
The Shortages
Commercial impact:
- Instant coffee sales surge
- Nescafé, Folgers sold out
- Hand mixers trending
- Grocery store runs
Decline
Trend faded because:
- Extremely sweet
- Labor-intensive
- Novelty wore off
- Post-lockdown life resumed
Sources:
- Dalgona Coffee Google Trends
- Instant Coffee Sales Data (2020)
- Korean Food Culture Documentation