Make It, Then Break It! Here's How You Can Make Squid Game's Dalgona Candy

Although the season for hibiscus flower blooms is over, the hype for Netflix hit series Squid Game is in full harvest. The South Korean survival show directed by Hwang Dong Hyuk is quickly becoming Netflix's most popular series, with many viewers praising the wonderful cast and thrilling plot twists. While there are a plethora of iconic moments from the show, ranging from a 10-foot sniper doll to breakout characters like Player 067 (Jung Ho-yeon), perhaps one of the biggest trends from the show to hit the internet is dalgona candy.

Dalgona candy, or ppopgi depending on the region, is a honeycomb toffee treat that became popular in South Korea during the '70s and '80s. Vendors would place designs in the middle of the sweet treat as a challenge. If children were able to pluck out the shape inside the candy without shattering it, they would get the candy for free. However, the game is rigged from the start, as dalgona candy is extremely brittle.

Rest assured, making dalgona candy is much simpler than beating the game, as you only need two ingredients: white or brown sugar and some baking soda. If you're looking to add some fall flavor, you can also put in a pinch of cinnamon. If you want to stamp an illustration on your candy, you can use a cookie cutter to get a nice shape. Once you're done making the treat, challenge all of your friends to see who can successfully take the shape out of the candy!

Notes

Do not use cane sugar — it will not melt properly and you will be left with fully solid sugar crystals.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons of white or brown sugar
A pinch of baking soda

Directions

Measure out six tablespoons of sugar into a small saucepan. Over medium heat, slowly melt the sugar until the crystals have completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved and turns amber in color, take the saucepan off of the burner and throw in a pinch of baking soda. Do not go overboard with the baking soda—too much will cause it to taste bitter. With a ladle, wooden spoon or some chopsticks, stir the mixture until it becomes a fluffy texture. After mixing in all of the baking soda, quickly pour the mixture onto a greased sheet pan, or one lined with parchment paper. If you’re using popsicle sticks, pour the candy onto the stick. As it is cooling, quickly press a cookie cutter on to the candy. The deeper the indent, the easier the game is to beat. Finally, once it is completely cooled, play the game and whatever you do, don’t lose.