Despite dalgona coffee being this year’s top most searched keyword in Google Trends’ “How to” category, some Filipinos shared that they have not yet tried the ultimate whipped coffee trend this quarantine period.
Based on Google’s “Year in Search 2020” for the Philippines, Filipinos were most interested in making the iced coffee treat this year.
The phrase “How to make dalgona coffee?” landed on the top query for the “how to” category of the search engine giant, beating the coronavirus-related query, “How to wear a surgical mask?” which came in second.
The third top search was a health-related one: “How to compute BMI?” or the body mass index, a measure of body fat based on the height and weight.
Google noted that Filipinos were also interested in knowing how to make leche flan or the Filipino version of crème caramel, boosting the immunity system and dividing fractions, among others.
Meanwhile, dalgona coffee, according to a lifestyle magazine, was inspired by the South Korean dalgona candy which is described as a “toffee sponge that resembles the creamy dollop that tops the iced coffee.”
The drink is based on three ingredients—instant coffee, sugar and hot water.
A food magazine describes it as a “reverse latte where the coffee is replaced by iced milk, while the steamed milk is replaced by the coffee froth.”
Reports said that the drink initially went viral on micro-video platforms TikTok and Instagram.
It eventually invaded Filipinos’ social media feeds as people show pictures of their creations, especially during the height of the enhanced community quarantine or during the early months of the lockdown in March.
In terms of quarantine food trends, the dalgona coffee was succeeded by the banana bread, baking bread and the sushi bake as Filipinos occupy themselves with making their own meals while quarantined at their houses.
But despite the popularity of the whipped coffee drink, there are still others who claimed of being unfamiliar with its taste in terms of experience.
“Mag-2021 na never pa ‘ko nakatikim ng dalgona coffee,” a Twitter user said with a weary emoji.
“2020 things I didn’t get to have: Sushi bake, Tiger King, Dalgona coffee (looking at the online description though, why?),” shared another online user.
“Ako rin, lag, ‘di ko pa nata-try dalgona coffee,” a different Filipino wrote with a grinning emoji.
Columnist and blogger Noemi Dado shared a screengrab of the “How To” list and wrote in response to dalgona coffee topping the most searched item in the category: “I never did.”
Dalgona coffee is made by whisking instant coffee, sugar and hot water (preferably with a mixer) until it turns to a light brown fluff.
The mixture is then poured over a glass filled with ice and milk.
Some personalities who have jumped into the trend include restaurateur-vlogger Erwan Heussaff who has recreated the recipe with chocolate and Vietnamese egg yolk.