Squid Game se pehle, almost koi non-Korean ko pata nahi tha ki dalgona kya hai. Phir wo show aaya, aur achanak poori duniya contestants ko brittle sugar candy se shapes cut karte dekh rahi thi.
Mujhe try karna pada. Hongdae ke street vendor ne traditional way mein dalgona banaya — sugar melt kiya, baking soda daala, flat press kiya, star shape stamp kiya. “Mat todna.” Game on. Result? Tooot gaya obviously. But taste same hi tha — burnt caramel + honeycomb crunch.
Indian context
India mein chikki (peanut brittle) thoda similar hai — caramelized sugar base. Sugar candy ya misri bhi parallel hain. Lekin dalgona ki honeycomb texture aur baking soda magic India mein nahi hai. Squid Game ke baad India mein bhi dalgona coffee viral hua tha — same idea, different form. Per piece 2000-3000 Won (Rs.120-180). Vegetarian friendly.
Squid Game Effect
2021 se pehle, dalgona Korean nostalgic snack tha 1960s-70s ka, mostly forgotten. Phir Squid Game ne ek deadly game scene mein dikhaya — achanak dalgona everywhere. Korean dalgona vendors ka business explode hua. International cafes ne dalgona coffee bechna shuru kiya. Show ne sirf entertain nahi kiya — dying snack ko resurrect kar diya.
Final words
Dalgona Korean nostalgia hai older generations ke liye, Squid Game souvenir hai younger tourists ke liye. Either way, taste burnt caramel + honeycomb crunch hai. Cutting game try karo — fail karoge. Phir bhi kha lo. Korea jao toh ek piece zaroor try karo!
