At first glance, the recipe for dalgona candy looks fairly simple. It contains only two key ingredients: sugar and baking soda. It might be hard to believe that such a simple selection of components for the candy can make such a delicious flavor and texture, but it's all in the technique. The process has origins in Korea with a major rise in popularity in the 70s and 80s, according to Beyond Kimchi, at which time dalgona candy was enjoyed as an inexpensive street food.
Before the TikTok recipes came into existence, the treat was made by filling a ladle with sugar and holding it directly over a heated portable charcoal stove before stiring it with a chopstick. When the sugar started to caramelize, a little bit of baking soda would be added to the ladle. Once it bubbled, the candymaker would transfer it to a flat surface and press it flat. The finishing touch is the shaped cutter used to embellish the surface (via Beyond Kimchi).
While dalgona candy probably tastes best made by skilled hands in a setting more aligned with its origins, TikTokers have claimed to find success using at-home recipes.
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