Before Squid Game, almost no one outside Korea knew what dalgona was. Then the show happened, and suddenly the whole world was watching contestants try to cut shapes out of brittle sugar candy without breaking them.
I had to try it. I went to a Hongdae street vendor who was making dalgona the traditional way — melting sugar in a small ladle, adding baking soda to make it puff up, pressing it flat with a metal disk, stamping a shape into it. He handed me one with a star shape pressed in. “Don’t break it.” Game on.
What Is It?
Dalgona(달고나) is a Korean candy made by melting sugar with a tiny bit of baking soda, which creates a honeycomb-like texture. It’s pressed flat and stamped with a shape — heart, star, umbrella, etc. The traditional game: try to cut out the shape without breaking the rest. About 100 kcal per piece. Pure caramelized sugar.
The Squid Game Effect
Before 2021, dalgona was a nostalgic Korean snack from the 1960s-70s, mostly forgotten by younger generations. Then Squid Game featured it in a deadly game scene, and suddenly dalgona was everywhere. Korean dalgona vendors saw business explode. International cafes started selling dalgona coffee (a different but related drink). The show didn’t just entertain — it resurrected a dying snack.
Where & Price
Tourist areas, especially Hongdae, Myeongdong, Insadong. Some vendors let you play the cutting game. Price: 2,000-3,000 KRW ($1.50-$2.25) per piece.
A Snack with a Story
Dalgona is Korean nostalgia for older generations and a Squid Game souvenir for younger tourists. Either way, it tastes like burnt caramel with the crunch of honeycomb. It’s simple — just sugar and baking soda — but it carries decades of Korean childhood memories and now a piece of global pop culture history. Try the cutting game. You’ll fail. Eat it anyway.
