tags: [] - coffee/brewing - coffee/history aliases: - Whipped coffee - Dalgona whipped coffee - 달고나 커피

Dalgona Coffee¶

Tags: #coffee/brewing #coffee/history Aliases: Whipped coffee, Dalgona whipped coffee, 달고나 커피 Related: Coffee Brewing MOC | Instant Coffee | Coffee Culture | Iced Coffee Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Dalgona coffee is a whipped instant coffee drink made by beating equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and hot water into a thick, pale-brown foam, which is then spooned over cold or hot milk. The drink became globally viral in early 2020 during COVID-19 lockdowns when South Korean actor Jung Il-woo featured it on a television programme, and it subsequently spread rapidly via social media, particularly TikTok. The name derives from dalgona (달고나), a Korean honeycomb toffee confection, which the whipped foam is said to resemble in colour and texture.

Preparation¶

The standard preparation uses equal volumes — typically 2 tablespoons each — of: - Instant coffee (not espresso or filter coffee; instant is required for the foam-forming properties of its soluble compounds) - White sugar - Hot water

The mixture is beaten vigorously by hand or with an electric mixer for approximately 2–5 minutes until it transforms into a thick, glossy, light-brown foam with a consistency similar to whipped cream. The foam is spooned over a glass of cold milk (with ice) or hot milk. The drinker stirs the foam into the milk before consuming, or drinks the layers separately.

The foam forms because the combination of soluble coffee solids, sugar, and air creates a relatively stable emulsion. Ground or brewed coffee does not produce the same effect — instant coffee's fine, homogeneous particle composition is essential to the foam structure.

Historical Context and Antecedents¶

Similar whipped coffee drinks predate the 2020 viral moment in several countries:

Pakistan and India: Phenti hui coffee — beaten coffee with sugar — is a longstanding traditional preparation
Greece: Frappé — made by shaking instant coffee with water and ice — emerged in the 1950s
Macau: Coffee with whipped cream layers has been served in traditional cafés for decades

The 2020 viral spread was distinctive not for the technique's novelty but for the speed and scale of its adoption across social media platforms.

Key Facts¶

Dalgona coffee uses instant coffee, sugar, and hot water in equal parts, beaten to a foam and served over milk
Instant coffee is required; brewed or ground coffee does not produce the foam due to different soluble composition
Became globally viral in early 2020, attributed to a South Korean television programme during COVID-19 lockdowns
Named for dalgona, a Korean honeycomb toffee, for visual resemblance
Similar whipped coffee preparations exist in Pakistan, India, and Greece predating the 2020 moment

Coffee Brewing MOC
Instant Coffee
Iced Coffee
Coffee Culture

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-05-02	Compliance review: full rewrite — removed bare one-sentence stub with raw Wikipedia URL and local file markdown link; rebuilt as encyclopedic article with frontmatter, metadata block, Overview, preparation method, historical context, Key Facts, References, Changelog, copyright

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